The rules of the Book Club

There are many different kinds of exciting literary events going on right now in Barcelona, but let me talk to you about one of the most interesting: Book Clubs. If we are to believe the T-shirt that illustrates this article, by doing so I will break the first and second rules of book clubs! I hope they can forgive me…

Book clubs are basically informal meetings of friends with a common interest: a passion for all kind of books, from modern best-sellers to classic high-brow literature or superhero comics. The members of a book club bring a number of books that they like for one reason or another, comment on them (talking about why do they like each book, and giving a bit of background about the author) and afterwards share the books between the members. The point is to read the books you take before the next meeting of the book club, so you can return them to their owners… Although you can ask the owner for some extra time if you need of course.

The hosts of the Scorpion’s Nest (enelnidodelescorpion@gmail.com), a non-profit cultural association located in the centric Raval quarter in Barcelona, organize a book club that holds a meeting approximately every two months. The number of attendants is quite variable, but usually there are between ten or fifteen people in each meeting. Everyone is accepted no matter their age, gender or literary experience and preferences… Only two conditions are required: the first is that they must bring something to eat or drink to share with the others, normally some beer and chips. The reasoning behind this is that it’s very difficult to think about literature with an empty stomach! The other required condition is that the books that are brought to the event must be really interesting to the owner: the whole point of the club is to share real interests and personal literary passions, and so it is considered rude to bring books that have not been read before or are not liked by their owners. It is not required to bring a precise number of books: of course the minimum is one, and a good maximum number (to leave everyone enough time to talk) would be four or five.

When the meeting starts, the host of the Scorpion’s Nest is usually the first to talk making a short presentation (no more than a couple of minutes long) of each of his books, hoping to break the ice. Afterwards, it’s the turn of the newbies: as the T-shirt clearly states in its sixth rule, if this is your first night in the book club… You have to talk.

Don’t worry though: book clubs are far more welcoming than fight clubs… But if you want to check this out for yourself, you will have to do it personally: just rent apartments in Barcelona and come to the next meeting of the club in the Scorpion’s Nest!

Tags: book club, The Scorpion's Nest