shortlist 2008
The Book Groupies, London
The Book Groupies is a mixed group of twenty and thirty somethings who share a love of reading, tapas and red wine. The group of twelve includes a social worker, accountant and parliamentary candidate and meets at a different member’s home roughly every six weeks. Currently celebrating the group’s fifth birthday, members take it in turns to choose the book, giving everyone the chance to read something they like and offering up a wide range of titles from the classics to contemporary fiction. They celebrated their first birthday drinking champagne and listening to an old crackly recording of TS Eliot in a West London park.
Members say
'We’ve been arguing over books now for five years but our discussions are just as unpredictable as when we first started. We’re really pleased to have made the shortlist. It recognises the range of activities we’ve undertaken in the name of book-loving, from poetry readings on the London Eye to film nights and Halloween-themed meetings. Our group proves that reading can be sociable, challenging and most importantly, fun.'