Tips for Running a Book Club During a Pandemic
Considering how many online meetings we have now, it may seem ridiculous to think that people would willingly sign up for more hours of Zoom. But the pandemic has led many people to seek out human connection and a place to exchange ideas. And what better way to spend time with friends (and talk about something other than the news) than joining a book club?
Running a successful book club during a pandemic requires a balance between entertainment and insightful discussion. To achieve the perfect ratio, here are some tips to keep in mind:
Come up with a Theme
A good theme will generate plenty of enthusiasm and give your book club a clear goal. For an engaging one that isn’t too broad, try combining an intersection of two genres. An example of what this could look like might be merging the genres of comedy and memoir by reading comedic memoirs. You might also want to explore authors from underrepresented backgrounds, such as by reading poetry by queer writers. When brainstorming themes, get creative and think of original and unexpected ways that genres can intersect.
Assign Roles to Participants
As a book club leader, you have a lot of work to do when it comes to planning meetings. Why not distribute some of that work among your members? There are many fun ways you can do this, and I suggest assigning roles on a rotating basis so everyone has a chance at these. Here are some roles to get you started:
The Ambience Creator: Just because it’s Zoom doesn’t mean there can’t be an atmosphere—it’s up to the ambience creator to immerse the group in the world of the book. Play music, decide on Zoom backgrounds for the group, or suggest a snack inspired by the book that everyone has to bring. When you’re all virtually munching on a snack or sipping a cocktail, it’s almost like you’re together in the same room, right?
The Gamer: The Gamer has got the group covered for a little extra entertainment by bringing an interactive activity to play. Why not make a trivia game, find a relevant online game, or make a crossword puzzle for people to solve in breakout rooms? If your group members relish the thrill of competition, you can even offer a prize for being the first to solve a puzzle.
The Researcher: The type of people who would join a book club are guaranteed to be huge nerds. They are going to be curious about what they are reading, so the researcher can bring some fun facts to share, such as about the time period of a historical novel or the events in an author’s life.
Take Advantage of Zoom’s Features
Zoom has a multitude of tools to help spice up your discussions. Breakout rooms, for example, are great for starting insightful discussions in smaller groups. Once the groups are finished discussing their opinions, they can return to the main room to give everyone the highlights of their conversation.
To get members to share how they really feel, try asking controversial questions about a book using the poll feature, allowing people to vote anonymously. For example, try throwing, “Do you think the character’s actions were morally justifiable?” into the mix. These tools are guaranteed to get some thought-provoking conversations started and maybe even spark a friendly debate.
Be Democratic when Choosing Books
Many traditional book clubs work by rotating which member gets to pick the book each week or month. A better way to ensure that the majority of people will be enthusiastic about the book choice is to use a voting system. Let every member of your club propose a book, and then send out a Google form with a list of all the suggested titles for people to vote on. You may also choose to do a ranked (or preferential) voting system in which participants select their first, second, and third choices. This way, you can be inclusive and take your book club in the direction that your members want to go.
Avoid Pandemic Talk
Zoom calls often start off with icebreakers like, “So how many covid cases are there where you live?” and “How is the lockdown going for you?” De-normalize this in your book club. Try to make it a positive space for people to relieve their stress. This means avoiding books about plagues or diseases, and I would also recommend staying away from post-apocalyptic fiction right now when it’s all just a little too close for comfort. The most important thing is to come together and have fun.
Freya Abbas
studies linguistics and literature at the University of Toronto and is passionate about promoting the arts in her community. She is the lead writer of INKspire, which is an organization that facilitates free poetry workshops for youth. She likes experimenting with different kinds of writing, from plays to essays. Her favourite books to read are historical fiction novels.