Reading is usually considered a solitary endeavour, but book groups transform it into a community-focused activity. When I first joined a book group at Avid Reader in Brisbane’s West End, I was hoping to make new friends and broaden my reading horizons, but I got so much more than that. I became part of a diverse and thriving community.
Creating community
Marlo Spikin, facilitator of the Queer Literature Book Club at Avid, spoke to me about creating a space of inclusivity, not exclusivity. “I had always wanted to join a book club,” Marlo told me. “I felt this keenly when, in my 20s, some friends participated in an invite-only book