Do you want to join one or two book clubs in South London? Take a look at the following 10 and see if any take your fancy.
1. Brixton Book Group
The Brixton Book Group is a casual book club that meets every 3-4 weeks. They usually meet at the Churchill Room at Effra Social in Brixton but sometimes must use a different room or an entirely different pub. Members are notified of the time, date, and location by email.
Their choices of reading material span many fiction and non-fiction genres. The next month’s selection is chosen at each meeting with all members making suggestions and members voting on which one they would prefer. Additional meetings are sometimes held via Zoom.
Email the book club to find out more.
2. Clapham Book Club
If you fancy a bit of socialising and book discussion, you should check out the Clapham Book Club. This group meets in-person in the Clapham Commons area each month. Meetings are held at an area pub. The location, dates, and times are emailed to members beforehand.
Members of the book club enjoy a wide selection of books. They vote on the next selection at the end of each meeting. Participants are invited to read the book selected and take an active part in the conversation or they can just pop by and enjoy a drink and some chat.
Reach out to get involved.
3. The Black Feminist Book Club
If you are a Black woman, femme or non-binary feminist looking for a book club focused on books about Black feminist empowerment, self-care and community networking, join The Black Feminist Book Club in Brixton. This group meets once per month. Details are posted on Eventbrite.
Patreon subscribers are admitted for free. Tickets for non-members are sold on a donation basis, with a minimum suggested donation of £3. Those who lack the means to pay can request a free ticket subject to availability.
Contact the organiser with questions.
4. Open Book Group
If you’re in the Sydenham area, you can visit the Kirkdale Bookshop on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. for the Open Book Group. There is no formal sign up or membership for this group. Classic and contemporary fiction to be read each month is chosen by the bookshop.
Though the book club is open to the public, it is held in a small venue so those who plan to attend are asked to sign up ahead of time. Snacks, drinks and are usually donated by various members of the group for all to enjoy.
Get in touch with the bookshop.
5. LGBTQIA+ Book Group
The LGBTQIA+ Book Group is a second book club that meets at the Kirkdale Bookshop on the last Friday of each month at 7:30 p.m. This book club is geared toward reading books that are focused on queer stories and events chosen by monthly participants.
The book club is open for all located or visiting the Sydenham area of South London. Books can be purchased at the bookshop or brought from home. It is not necessary to read the book ahead of time. You can drop in and follow along with the discussion anyway.
Visit the bookshop online.
6. The Book Group Greenwich
This book club meets the second Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at The Yacht pub in Greenwich. Books are suggested and voted on by members, so the genres tend to be a broad sampling of fiction and non-fiction, sometimes poetry.
Book discussions are casual, often lasting for several hours to give everyone time to have a drink or a bite to eat. There are no membership fees or formal sign-ups. Everyone is welcome to stop by, though space is limited.
Send a message to the book club.
7. The Book Group with No Name
This small book club in Kingston Upon Thames has been meeting every month for more than two decades. The members choose their monthly reading selection based on suggestions made by each of them. Reading material covers a wide swathe of classic and contemporary fiction.
Meetings are held at various locations around the area. While some are held in the private homes of members, others take place in local pubs, parks and libraries. New members are only accepted as space allows, as the book club prefers to remain around a dozen participants.
Learn more about the book club.
8. Ivy House Book Club
This book club is made up of people living in the Nunhead and Peckham areas. It meets at the Ivy House Pub on the first Monday of every month. Times vary depending on pub capacity and are posted on their Facebook page beforehand.
Among the books selected by the members of this club are anything from classic fiction to contemporary autobiographies. Non-fiction, poetry and memoirs are also among the list of previously discussed works.
Get on board with this book club.
9. Wimbledon Book Club
Though this book club accepts people of all ages, sexes, races and backgrounds, they tend to be made up of a younger crowd in their 20s and 30s. The group meets every third Monday of the month. The locations and times vary but are posted on their Meetup page for members.
The group is casual, and their reading habits are diverse. They usually like to meet for a few drinks and some discussion of whichever book their group chose at the previous month’s meeting. Since choices are selected by many different people with unique tastes, you’ll get a well-rounded reading experience.
Sign up on Meetup.
10. Wimbledon Village Reading Group
This book club has been meeting in the Wimbledon Village area for more than a decade. Though their membership numbers nearly two hundred people, their meetings tend to be much smaller with a dozen or so people gathering for their monthly discussions.
The group meets at Light on the Common in Wimbledon Village on the final Thursday of every month. Discussions start at 7:30 p.m. In addition to these regular meetings, the group sometimes holds extra meetings to cover books that only a portion of the group are interested in.
Contact the book club.