After years of being forgotten, book clubs are making a comeback online

SINCE the onset of the pandemic, book clubs, which had fallen out of fashion, have been reborn on social networks where they are attracting a new generation of influencers. These new forums for literary discussion have been buoyed by a growing enthusiasm for reading as an antidote to the covid-inspired lassitude.

"Welcome to my book club" is not necessarily the first thing that you might expect Kaia Gerber to say. But since the pandemic began, the young American model has regularly been inviting major names in literature and other media personalities to discuss books on her Instagram account. In March of this year, she spoke for 30 minutes with New York bookseller Sarah McNally about the satirical novel "Severance" by Ling Ma, and the future of independent bookstores. The discussion was followed by tens of thousands of internet users, as are all of Gerber's book club meets.

And she is not the only celebrity to have recently emerged in a growing ecosystem of literary influencers, who are known as "Bookstammers" or "BookTokers" on social networks. Having been mocked in the past, in recent years, book clubs have become increasingly popular. Setting aside the stereotype of old-fashioned reading groups peopled by the middle-aged middle classes, they are now the stomping ground of self-confessed bookaholics, who for the most part are educated, urban, female readers.

What, you may wonder, motivates them to join these clubs? For the most part, it is the pleasure of discussion and a chance to discover works that they might never have encountered were it not for recommendations from high-profile literary pundits. Certain celebrities like Reese Witherspoon, Florence Welch and even the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker-Bowles, have been more than happy to take on this role for wildly eclectic gatherings of readers.

"Books serve as a pretext"

This wide diversity of profiles is one effect of the pandemic on literary salons. While health restrictions have forced most book clubs to migrate online, the fact that they are now virtual has enabled them to reach out to a wider audience. While some new book club members have joined for a chance to peruse the libraries of their favorite influencers, others are keen to compensate for a lack of social connection. This was the case for Deli, age 26, who ultimately started her own group.

Having found herself without a job at the beginning of the health crisis, the young woman, armed with her books, moved back in to live with her parents. "For the first time in my life, I could take time to read," she explains. Having rediscovered the joys of the written word, Deli went on to create her own online, French-language gathering, "Overbookées," which she describes on Instagram as "a safe space for people worn out by news networks." She now holds regular discussions with her 500 followers on books that relate to her pet subjects such as "Sœurs en écologie" (Sisters in Ecology) by Pascale d'Erm, "Féminismes & Pop Culture" (Feminism and Pop Culture) by Jennifer Padjemi or "La puissance des mères" (The Power of Mothers) by Fatima Ouassak.