Spring is upon us, which means no more cozying up at home with a nice book, a blanket, and a cup of tea. Instead, I’ve traded the indoor setup for small coffee shops and fun outdoor reading spaces around Atlanta.
A few months ago, I came across an Instagram post for a group of readers who did just the same. The Silent Book Club is an international organization that brings together a community of readers. Over 50 countries around the world have started hundreds of chapters, led entirely by volunteers. People meet up in local communal spots, like cafés and bookstores, just to read and mingle. Unlike traditional book clubs that follow specific books for a set amount of time, the Silent Book Club simply gives people a time and place to come and read whatever it is they please, and gives the average introverted reader a chance to meet people who share a common hobby.
The Silent Book Club began in 2012 by two friends in San Francisco, but it was brought to Atlanta by Sophia Griesenauer. Griesenauer went through a similar journey discovering the organization on social media, only to find that there weren’t any available in Atlanta. “I ended up going to a couple of Decatur’s meetups and liked it, but I wanted something a little more varied in the locations, so I decided to start the Atlanta one.”
The club meets about three times a month on the weekends, usually in the afternoon, at a different location each time. “People tend to have an open afternoon, they’re trying to be low-key,” says Griesenauer. Oftentimes, people have a hard time setting aside the time to read or don’t give themself a moment to unwind. This club takes the planning out of it and gives readers a space to come together and do what they love.
At the heart of this organization is the need to build a community. “It’s always hard to meet other adults as we get older, so it’s a good way to build community and build friendships,” says Griesenauer. This club is the answer to the age-old question: How do we make friends as adults? Readers tend to be more introverted, and Atlanta is a huge metropolitan city, which only makes it more overwhelming. What Griesenauer did was create an easy avenue to solve that problem. Readers can enjoy whatever book they want, talk to people with similar or different interests, and ultimately build relationships based on this shared interest.
While this is a single chapter in a much bigger community, Griesenauer has taken many opportunities to create a club that is very local to Atlanta and true to the community. “I wanted to build a reading community in Atlanta but I also wanted to reinvest in the community,” she says. “We haven’t had a repeat meet-up anywhere. We keep moving all around the city to different locations, and we’re having locations reach out to us that want to host us. We’re going all across the boundary of Atlanta to different locations.” This has opened up opportunities for readers to learn more about their community and support the many small businesses in all the little pockets of neighborhoods around Atlanta.
While the book club only began in November, it already has a huge following and continues to grow. Many members attend meetings regularly and are dedicated to being a part of this community. Even if there is a huge turnout and seating is limited, that won’t stop readers from finding a cozy spot on the floor just to be a part of this community.
So, grab the next book on your TBR list and find yourself a spot in the coffee shop — the Atlanta Silent Book Club is something you’ll want to add to your Sunday afternoon plans. Find more information about the Silent Book Club organization here and click here to stay up-to-date on meetings in Atlanta.