The Hobart Bookshop is launching a new kind of book club where readers do not just discuss a book – they discuss it with the author who wrote it.
Read & Meet Tasmania will run across five sessions starting later this month, each featuring a different Tasmanian fiction title and its writer.
Bronwyn Chalke, owner of the bookshop, said the concept goes beyond a traditional book club.
“Obviously book clubs exist where you go and you read the book and you talk about the book, but having the opportunity to actually meet the author in that same session is something that we haven’t tried before and we don’t think happens too often,” she said.
Each session will be split into two parts, with TasWriters chair Meahd Farnaby leading a group discussion before the author joins for a chat and question-and-answer session.
Chalke said the format gives readers “a really amazing insight into the process and the story.”
The five sessions will run from 5:30pm to 7pm on selected Mondays, beginning September 28 with Johanna Bell discussing The Department of the Vanishing.
Following sessions feature Keely Jobe with The Endling on October 19, Katherine Johnson with Every Wild Soul on November 9, Nadia Mahjouri with Half Truth on November 30 and Karen Brooks with The Extraordinary Florence Stoker on January 18.
Tickets are $10 and can be redeemed against the featured title or any Tasmanian fiction pick.
Chalke said spots are filling fast and urged people to get in early.
“Because of the book club situation, we didn’t want to make the group super big because otherwise anyone that’s a little quieter won’t feel confident to speak up,” she said.
She said the shop would look at continuing the series after gathering feedback from the first five sessions.
Supporting local writers remains a priority for the business.
“If we don’t support our local authors, nobody will,” Chalke said.
The Hobart Bookshop is located at 22 Salamanca Square, Hobart.
Details: here
