"300 People Doing This at a Nightclub?"... A Twist Born from Loneliness and Digital Fatigue

Reading Gatherings Gain Popularity Worldwide
Diverse Formats Including Reading Parties and Trips

The culture of enjoying reading with others, rather than reading alone, is spreading. Events centered around books, such as reading parties and reading trips, where people socialize together, are gaining popularity in various parts of the world.

'Offline Club' reading event held in Amsterdam. Screenshot from Instagram (@theoffline_club)

On September 9, 2026 (local time), CNN in the United States reported that reading is emerging as a new social activity. More than 100 people gathered at "Book Doof," a reading event held in Melbourne, Australia on August 30. Participants spent time quietly reading the books they brought with them.

This event started in October 2025 and has been held about 12 times in Melbourne and 3 times in Perth. More than 300 people attended an event held at a nightclub in Melbourne in May 2026. The organizer, Grant Krubb, said, "It seems that many people are looking for something that can connect them with others."

Some have pointed out that these reading gatherings are a kind of "performance" trend. In response, Krubb said, "The fact that all of us are reading is something to be celebrated," adding, "Even if it's done just for show, I don't really mind."

"Page Break," a reading club in New York, offers reading trips where participants read a book together over a weekend. The club reads books together in various locations, from the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York to Joshua Tree National Park in California.

Since its launch in March 2024, Page Break has held 25 reading trips, all of which have sold out. The event scheduled for the end of this month is also fully booked.

'Page Break' reading club where people read books in various locations. Instagram (@pagebreak.nyc) screenshot

"Grain of Salt," based in Los Angeles, holds eight-hour reading events where participants read an entire book from start to finish. Participants read while enjoying a four-course meal, and the event is so popular that it sells out weeks in advance.

The "Offline Club" event held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, was designed to encourage analog experiences by stepping away from smartphones and digital devices. Hundreds gathered outdoors, each opening their own book and enjoying reading. An event official described this as a "gentle rebellion against big tech."

The popularity of these gatherings is attributed to the desire for connection and growing digital fatigue following the COVID-19 pandemic. More and more people are seeking analog experiences to escape from a lifestyle of constantly checking their smartphones.

Some suggest that reading with others can lower the barriers to reading and help increase reading rates. Andrew Ettinger of the UK charity National Literacy Trust explained, "Social reading events can introduce reading to people who normally don't engage with books and naturally increase the number of people who read."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.