Booklovers on the right page
BOOK-LOVERS have the chance to take their hobby in new directions, thanks to Wokingham Literary Society.
Wokingham borough is full of avid readers. There are dozens of book clubs, including more than 75 groups reading sets of books from Wokingham Library. Many clubs agree a book for members to read and then meet to discuss it.
Wokingham Literary Society, started about 70 years ago, adds another dimension. The society is encouraging more people to experience what it offers as it starts its new season.
Chairman Chris Davies of Emmbrook said: “We tend to look at the wider perspective, rather than concentrating on one book. I’m sure there are people in Wokingham not fully aware of the society and we want them to know about us.”
With the society meetings you don’t need to have read the books or author being talked about.
Vice chair Janet Ferguson said: “Passages are read to us and it can all be a taster of what the book or author would be like.”
There are lively discussions and a break for tea or coffee.
Chris added: “Earlier this month we heard about Jane Austen, marking the 200th anniversary of her death.
“Sometimes we do look at one book. On September 21 Martin Hughes is talking about Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass.
“We also concentrate on a period or a genre of books. On October 19 I’m talking about diarists including Adrian Mole, Anne Frank, Tony Benn and Kenneth Williams.”
Ailsa Claybourn who worked for The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, will talk on birds in literature, on October 5, answering these questions:
What sort of owl is Harry Potter’s Hedwig? Why did
King Lear call his evil daughter a ‘detested kite’? Why was an albatross hung around a sailor’s neck in Coleridge’s ‘The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner’?
Members bring poems or book extracts to read on a topic: on November 16 it is Food and Drink. Meetings are at Wokingham Baptist Church main hall on Thursdays, 7.30-9.30pm. In the summer members meet in each others’ homes to discuss their reading.
There are also play reading groups and poetry groups. The society organises theatre trips, an annual dinner, a summer party and a Christmas social. Many friendships develop within the society.
Member Christine Hayes said: “Whatever your reading preference, you will find something to get your teeth into and friendly people to welcome you.”
Visitors are welcome at the roughly twice a month meetings. Annual subscription is £15 a year, with non-members paying £2 a meeting.
For more details, visit: wokinghamliterarysociety.org.uk