The garden city of India, Bangalore, is known for its beautiful weather, amazing food, vibrant culture, and an impeccable fashion sense. However, a lesser known fact about this popular city is that it is home to several literary icons like Preeti Shenoy, Malathi Rao, Anita Nair, and Mahesh Dattani. The literary side of the city is quite active and book releases and public readings are common occurrences. Additionally, book lovers have a variety of book clubs that they can be a part of. If you love reading and want to connect with other bookworms in Namma Bengaluru for animated discussions about literature, you should check this list out. We also have a list of books clubs across India, in case you are from a different city.
On the other hand if you are planning on turning an author, read our blog on How to Self Publish a Book in India.
BANGALORE BOOK CLUB (BBC)
Aimed at providing book lovers with a platform to encourage discussions and sharing of experiences, this is one of the oldest and most loved book clubs in Bangalore. The members first met in 2006 and they have managed to schedule regular meetings ever since. BBC meets are generally on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month at 4:00PM. The venue changes and is announced prior to the meetings.
The club consists of not just book readers, but also writers, both amateurs and professionals. Members of the club decide on a book that is read individually and then discuss about it when the club convenes. Books of all genres are included and the book list for an entire year is prepared in advance.
Members are welcome to join at any point and the discussions generally consist of a small group of members, in order to facilitate easy and engaging conversations.
LITERATI SAP BOOK CLUBS
An initiative by SAP Labs, India, Literati is India’s largest corporate book club. Sumit Shetty of SAP is the coordinator of this book-reading initiative.
Literati operates in a way different from conventional book clubs. After enough contemplation, the members decide on an author to invite, who then comes and converses with the group members. The idea behind this is that creative minds need to be exposed to different unique ideas in order to broaden horizons and this is what Literati seeks to do.
About 7 years old, this author-based initiative comprises of over 4000 members. Literati has established its name in the writing world and the authors visiting Bangalore often make a tour to Whitefield in order to attend one of its meetings. Amish Tripathi, Chetan Bhagat, Shashi Tharoor, and Mark Tully, along with some others are well known names who have attended Literati meets in the past.
The club ensures that it meets at least once a month and it is extremely responsive via email. Members are welcome to join any time through the year.
BOOK MASALA
Milles and Boons first Indian author Milan Vohra decided to start this club after learning from her experiences in three other book clubs. About 3 years old, this club consists of around 50 members. The club members meet each month, usually at the Hyatt Bangalore.
Originally initiated with a core group of 5-6 members, the club has grown rapidly. Book Masala prides itself on its democratic and interactive functioning methodology for choosing a book. The club members vote in advance on the book to be read the next month and Vohra considers this to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of the club.
Members are encouraged to move beyond their comfort zones and explore unchartered literary terrains.
iBROWSE
iBrowse is conglomeration of two styles the conventional book discussion club and the author-based discussions, as adopted by clubs like Literati. However, it is slightly different from Literati in terms of its author meetings. The author is invited and he/she introduces their book following which the members are welcome to interact and discuss with the author.
Following the author’s departure, the book that was chosen for the month is discussed. Books are chosen after putting it to vote and each person nominates a book along with a line conveying what they like about it.
iBrowse has about 500 members on Facebook, out of which on an average, 70 attend a meeting. The meetings are free and prospective members are welcome to attend a discussion before deciding to join the club.
BRING YOUR OWN BOOK CLUB
In an attempt to move away from the traditional method of operation of book clubs, Bangalore’s Bring Your Own Book Club came up with its own innovative method. Members do not read a book in order to discuss it but instead gather together to discuss the last book they have read or their all-time favourites.
This ensures that members are exposed to literature from varied genres and they get to constantly hear about new books. Once each member talks about his/ her last book, members move around and pick up a book of their choice or join a fellow member to discuss some aspect of that book.
The only rule is that each member must come with a book of their own hard or soft copy. The club also has a library which lets you borrow books. One can also donate books to the library to increase its holdings. Most of the meetings are free, but some of them may have a nominal charge, which will be communicated to the members in advance.
BLESSED OUT BIBLIOPHILES
This club consists of 142 members and meets every 2 weeks to discuss and engage in animated literary discussions. The club members understand the excitement of finishing a novel that a reader would have loved and the desperate need it invokes to talk about it to people. The club gathers twice a month to meet and discuss different books of the members choices. It is not just any normal book club, but is a platform to exchange books and get to know new literature as well.
Be it budding authors, columnists, writers, or book lovers, you are welcome to join them for a meeting and get a taste of what they have to offer.
BANGALORE LADIES BOOK CLUB
This club aims to create a sense of unity and belonging amidst women through their love for literature. As the name suggests, the club is restricted only to women. Regular meetings are held once a month and members are free to come and discuss a particular book.
This club currently has about 200 members and operates in South Bangalore. Women who wish to join are free to come to the meetings after receiving approval from the co-ordinator.
ATTA GALATTA BOOK CLUB
Atta is a Kannada word translating to play, as well as a Hindi word meaning dough, and galatta means immense fun. Atta Galatta is a bookstore in Koramangla, Bangalore, determined to arouse interest and love for different pieces of literature. It strives to do so through different events and activities, and one such endeavor is its book club.
The bookstore also has an attached cafe, known for its variety
in breads and other baked items. Regular meetings of the club at this bookstore with baked goodies and tea is a popular pastime for avid readers in the city. The club encourages readers to explore a wide range of texts, finding stories that they seem to relate to.
The club has around 500 members, and new members are free to join through the year.
THE READING ROOM MY LITTLE CHATTERBOX
Do you want to inculcate in your child the love that you have for reading? The Reading Room presents an opportunity for doing just that! This initiative started off as a children’s library in JP nagar, which has now grown to include a reading club and an activity centre.
The main aim of The Reading Room is to create a space where children can explore the world of books and experience the magic of reading. The Reading Room believes that every child has the potential to become an avid reader if fostered in the right environment. Through fun activities using phonetics and games, the literary side to your child will be allowed to grow and develop into the reader that you know they have inside them.
BANGALORE POLITICALLY INSPIRED BOOK CLUB
Do you love participating in discussions concerning theories and ideas popular in political science? Interested in debates centred around human rights or legislative laws? This book club will help feed this interest in you with captivating discussions and analyses of political literature.
This book club meets to discuss ideas and challenges opposing thoughts over tea or coffee. It encourages differing opinions and creates a platform of open mindedness and malleability for captivating discussions.
Members are free to join when they please on the condition that they respect other members and refrain from judgement. Diversity of opinion is always welcome! The club meets in central locations of Bangalore and the venue for each meeting is decided upon in advance.
Book Clubs are not only a great opportunity for you to read different genres of literature, but they also prove to be a great forum to meet new and interesting people. Moreover, sometimes books need discussion in order to know their deeper meanings. Also, most book clubs gather for meetings only after stocking up on munchies and other good food after all, what brings out the joy of reading more effectively than food?
Expand your horizons; meet and greet fellow book lovers in Bangalore with the help of this list! If you find it useful and would like to give us your feedback, please leave a comment below. If you are from Mumbai or Chennai, we have a list of the book clubs in your cities as well!