CAN BOOK CLUBS SAVE READING?

Around the world, reading habits are undergoing a profound transformation. Attention spans are shrinking, digital distractions are multiplying, and despite unprecedented technological advances that promise to save time, many people find themselves with less time to devote to books. As a result, sustained engagement with literature—the worlds imagined by writers and the ideas that have long shaped civilisations, cultures, and collective values—is increasingly perceived as a demanding, if not futile, pursuit. Against this backdrop, the growing popularity of book clubs across social media is quite remarkable and encouraging. New reading communities are emerging every day — some conduct their discussions online, others meet in person; some dedicate a series of sessions to a single book, while others explore diverse literary works across genres. This trend is significant not only because it promotes reading in an age of distraction, but also because it creates spaces for dialogue, critical reflection, and a renewed appreciation of literature's enduring role in shaping individual and collective consciousness. Anyone who has ever wandered in the world woven by words can vouch for its fruit. Reading plays a variegated role; first, by being an enabler of achieving mental and cognitive heights, and second, an aid in emotional and social well-being. Simply, it can stir up and nurture both dimensions of a person — the rational side as well as the psychological, and both fundamental benefits and much more are united in a complex manner. In the words of the renowned critic, Nasir Abbas Nayyar, from the book Yeh Qissa Kya Hai Maani Ka, 'Reading is an absolute (social) activity. This is not merely intellectual or sensational, nor is it merely conceptual or sensual. In it, senses and comprehension are in unison; they aid each other.' A strong reading culture is also essential for sustaining the publishing ecosystem. Without a broad readership, publishers, distributors, and booksellers struggle to survive, while writers have fewer incentives and opportunities to produce high-quality work. With little financial return, the entire literary ecosystem risks gradual decline. For instance, in Peshawar, given the recent inflationary surge and intellectual impairment at the mass level, we now have very few bookstores offering fiction and poetry, rather than competitive-exam preparation guides. Those that are still operating sell books at such an outlandish price that pirating e-books remains the only viable option for an average student. When the demand for books declines, writers often become less willing to take creative risks. Publishers and authors tend to rely on familiar formulas that have worked before, leading to repetitive stories and ideas. As a result, truly original works become rarer—books that could achieve global recognition and inspire a new generation of writers. One can attribute this grotesque social bearing to many factors, inter alia: the rise of phones, bots, and other technological advancements that, as a trade-off, provide 'efficiency' and short-form content instead of a sustainable, intellectual adventure; busy schedules and economic stress squeeze our leisure time; and an educational system that prefers mimicry over exploration incites the herd mentality. All of this leads to impairment of cultural and cognitive capital, and this discussion is not novel; it has been in the mainstream for a while, and apparently this won't end very soon. Notwithstanding, we are interested today in exploring how book clubs can play their role in stopping, or at least slowing down, the lethal post-literate current. Historically, book clubs started in the 17th century, not as a social gathering to discuss fiction, but theology, and eventually metamorphosed into study circles where literature, poetry, and other writings were discussed across nations, with 'the Book-of-the-Month Club' founded in 1926. Book clubs became the mainstream outlets where readers engaged with writings on such a large scale that they were capable of making books national bestsellers. Their importance and macrocosmic effect, historically and contemporarily, make it imperative to discuss their different dimensions and functions. The upside The most immediate benefit of a book club is the collective process of selecting a book, reading it, and then discussing it together in a meeting. Let's not ignore the fact that the members are of all kinds and sorts, and this joint activity nudges them towards reading cooperatively. Some are students who never took reading seriously; others never attended formal educational institutions, but now yearn to immerse themselves in the literary world. Others are professionals who are logjammed with work and want to read -- cynically and enthusiastically -- as an escape from adult life. Some are bibliophiles who are imprisoned in certain genres and authors, unbeknownst to the books introduced through the club. Ultimately, this fizzles out the gatekeeping surrounding books and literary culture. This collective reading is not mere reading per se; it is a close, effort-ridden reading, since in its absence the members will be impaired in sharing their two cents on the text with others. This might employ literary theories and different lenses – Marxist, Feminist, Post-colonial, Psycho-analytical, and so on – to decode the book and render interpretations in multifarious ways. The close reading, apart from the obvious participatory need, helps us shape our thoughts around a book and its impact at a somewhat universal level. Book clubs also teach us to think critically, challenge our misconceptions and prejudices about an author that are often shaped by public discourse, connect the world of the text to the realities of society, and deepen our understanding of the evolving relationship between the reader and the act of reading. 'Reading is only half the experience; the other half lies in talking about what the book leaves behind. As an avid reader, I spent years searching for spaces where books could be discussed with the depth and sincerity they deserved. Once a month, everything is put on pause, and the love for literature sparks,' says Khadijah Fasih, a political science student who co-founded the Peshawar Readers Book Club, along with her friend Vashma Atif. Also, this type of reading can help a writer-cum-reader to understand how others read the works of renowned writers; their distinctive writing themes and styles, unique forms and structures, and the common pitfalls identified and debated on in the session could guide the burgeoning pen. Book clubs not only help us in reading books and improving our reading depth, they also provide a literary environment and a safe space, where an introverted person [like me] can, without any hesitation or fear of being judged, share views that might be blunt or controversial apropos authors, books, and conceptions fomented by them. This candidness can resonate with others and help the members to connect on a personal level. Khadijah, further, adds, 'The growing popularity of spaces built around books is not a mere literary trend. It is far more significant. A generation which is increasingly shaped by algorithms, shrinking cognitive spans and digital isolation, yearns for nothing more than a safe space to nurture a culture of thoughtful dialogue. A space extending beyond five seconds. A space for connection.' The receptive environment fostered by book clubs is a cornerstone of cultural appreciation, intellectual growth, tolerance, and imaginative engagement with literature. The downside ‎While this whole situation of sprouting clubs is commendable, some shortcomings need to be highlighted to ameliorate this national adventure. First and foremost, for many clubs, the fanfare of the meeting is an end in itself. That is, members come to the club for the sake of the literary veil; this makes them look intellectual and literary vis-à-vis the 'illiterates' who don't usually come to such meetings at upscale restaurants, situated in elitist areas, with an exclusive milieu rather than public libraries or other public spaces. By this, they commodify the very reading that was one of the few things not supposed to be touched by the shadows of lethal economics. This aestheticisation of reading concentrates on consumption, rather than focusing on a collective, inclusive intellectual movement. Organising lectures around a single title, however, is not the primary role of a book club. Why would I care to listen to a speaker ranting on Dostoyevsky's White Nights or Dante's Divine Comedy, when I can Google and listen to any scholar well-versed in the language and on the author? Plus, the essence of a book club is participatory learning, i.e., five to ten different readers coming from a diversified reading background and heterogeneous outlooks expressing the merits and demerits of the book, its connection to the overall tradition, and application of the ideas to the contemporary world. Can a lecture, with little time allocated to discussion, do it? I doubt it. Another limitation is that such discussions can easily drift into unstructured conversation rather than informed inquiry. Personal impressions often take precedence, while secondary sources—such as reviews, interviews, and scholarly or critical articles—are rarely consulted to deepen or challenge the discussion. Hence, the whole session can become an intellectual rage room; eventually, leading to little or no knowledge preservation, while discussions end with the meeting itself and no insights are documented whatsoever. The joy of reading is no less than transporting into unseen, unheard worlds, and this whole experience needs to be shared, beyond solitary confinements, with others, through inclusive and incisive clubs. Different members come from diverse backgrounds with many purposes – socialising, literary analysis, intellectual discussion, professional development, personal growth – ultimately fomenting an interpersonal relationship, both amongst members and with books and authors; this bond, through a joint vivisectional and insightful reading, results into developing -- by refutation and acceptance -- points of view that were completely alien to the members. While all of this is a noble cause in a society driving toward short-sightedness and sloppy insaneness, clubs need not to be performative and exclusive. Instead, they should aim to impact the intellectual lives of the members by establishing a safe space, where openness is encouraged, sans bordering on joint blathering. Furqan Ali: The writer is a Peshawar-based researcher who works in the financial sector. He can be reached at alifurqan647@gmail.com All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the writer