Women and Literature

It is a regular Sunday afternoon in Brisbane and 8 women are gathered in Newstead Park for their monthly book group meeting.  The group has just read Veronica Decides to Die by Paul Coelho and are gathering to discuss the book and its merits.  They are surrounded by trees, beautiful weather and the table is full of wine, cheeses and assorted other treats.  What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon? In terms of female bonding, women joining book groups has become an increasing trend, not only here in Brisbane but throughout Australia.  For many years book groups were seen as high brow, literary affairs that to the quiet observer seemed fairly intimidating.   It was an activity that only literary people might participate in and unless you were very well-read and had a particularly expansive vocabulary, you may feel a little dippy attending such an event.

Book groups have now become far less intimidating, in fact today book groups are down-right inviting.  People from all walks of life that are interested in books, are joining book groups and finding them a wonderful blend of stimulating conversation, humour and a great way to make new friends. It’s interesting that many book groups are female dominated or female only.  Women’s love of literature has never been stronger and it seems we are bonding more and more over our love of books.  The experts suggest women prefer reading fiction in particular to men because, at a very young age, boys and girls are introduced to reading differently.  Little girls are taught to read in a much slower and relaxed way, with boys it is more results orientated. The biological differences in our brains also influence this.  Cognitive psychologists suggest that women find fiction more appealing than men because females generally have a greater emotional range than men and this is what fictional books explore in one way or another. Take it a step further and provide the forum where we can discuss these with other women and you have something that is very appealing to females. Kate Brown 39, a working mum from Towoong says she and her friends set up their own book group 3 years ago and have been enjoying it ever since. "I wanted to be part of a book group because I like to read books and discuss them with like-minded people.  I did not want to have men in the book group because they may take over, or they may have very different tastes in what they would want to read.  I wanted to be in a group that shared my own tastes in literature. I also wanted a chance to catch up with my women friends without our partners around.  This upset the partners of my friends and my male friends when it was first proposed.  They got a trivia group together of men only and when book group was on, they went to trivia night and called themselves "Better than book group".  They never won." Book groups provide terrific opportunities for women to come together, especially those who get pleasure from books and reading.  The only pre-requisite is that you like to read books and want to enjoy some quality time with other interesting women. Sam Jacobs, 27 from Indooroopilly says,"I joined to meet different people and to read some good books.   I like reading a book on someone else’s recommendation, and have made some really great friends who make me laugh.   We talk about our lives over a wine, just like I do with my other friends.  My other friends enjoy the recommendations I give from book club too." Melissa Hayward, 32 in Wynnum says, "I didn’t read as often as I would have liked, so being part of a book club has helped me find the time to enjoy reading again (even if it’s the night before.)  We read a range of books that I have on the majority enjoyed but wouldn’t necessarily have chosen for myself. We have plenty of laughs, share a meal and discuss the book and the world at large.   I’ve met some fantastic women! Our personalities and experiences are wide and varied which I love, as it’s always interesting conversation, no one takes themselves too seriously and we have a great time." Book groups are run through-out Brisbane on weeknights or weekends.  Check your local paper, on-line groups, ask at your local library or TAFE college too.  Some book groups will be more formal than others.  Don’t be afraid to visit a few before committing to one group.  It’s important to find a book group that is the right for your personality and life style.  Book groups vary in numbers from 4 up to 12 people.  If you have plenty of friends who love books, consider creating your own book group. How to set up a book group

• Decide how often you will meet.  Most groups find that once a month is a good time frame, as it allows plenty of time to read the book.
• Set a specific time for your meeting and stick to it.  The more you change times and dates, the more confused members will become.
• Decide where to meet.  Some book groups meet in cafes and others meet in the member’s homes.  If meeting in homes, the book group is often rotated around so each member can take turn in hosting a meeting.
• Decide who will supply the refreshments.  Will the host provide or will each member bring something?
• Determine the format upfront.  Will one person choose the book each month, will the host put forward some discussion questions etc?
• When choosing what books to read it is a good idea to let each member make a selection.  Often members will choose their favourite books as they love to share this with everyone.
• The most important thing is to have fun at your book group.

This blog is designed for Brisbane women, about Brisbane women. Have your say here.

What are your thoughts on the research suggesting women enjoy literature more than men?  Do you agree or disagree?  What is your favourite book and why?  Do you have any experiences with a book group – positive or negative?

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