Writing another gripping page in its short history, Chapter 25 Book Club took home the New Business award at the Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards.
It was recognition of the journey Founder and CEO Sian Freeman has been on since she embarked on a crusade to simply find fellow readers who wanted to share the joy and passion of finishing a much-loved book.
The resulting book group, in Sian’s home village of Maulden in Bedfordshire, was a such a success that it saw the formation of the award-winning company that now includes more than 30 groups, spread across the UK from Somerset to Scotland, with more than 3,000 members between them.
Sian said: “I have been a reader all my life and I would finish a book and be desperate to find someone to discuss it with, to share the feeling of enjoying a great book. But it struck me that not many people of my generation read, it’s a solo activity and I was convinced I was alone in my passion for reading, but I was so wrong.
“I had the idea of setting up a book club to see if I could meet more people like me, who loved discussing and recommending or swapping books, and it turned out that the demand was there.”
For a monthly membership fee around 25 to 30 people in each Chapter 25 Book Club area meet monthly to discuss the chosen book. As part of the membership package, there are virtual Q&As with authors as well as online events, including The Bookish Bake Off and quizzes, and members receive a newsletter, discounts and can join a local community chat group.
Members from all walks of life and ages are welcomed, on the grounds that diversity and different perspectives bring about the best discussions. The number of members in each group is limited so that everyone can get to know one another, and that newcomers feel comfortable arriving at a group. There’s a waiting list for membership in some areas, and potential hosts for new groups are invited to find out more via the website.
“A lot of book groups are set up by groups of friends,” said Sian. “That’s great, but it can be difficult for people who have anxiety about meeting new people to make the move to join. Our model is that someone will host the meetings, in a great venue, and make sure new people meet others and feel comfortable. Everyone has something in common, because they’re readers, and something to talk about in discussing the book, and real friendships grow from there.
“Because we have the online forums and chat groups, even the most introverted people can feel at ease, and while group discussions are regularly about books, the chat is just as likely to move on to hobbies, crafts, pets or any other subject that comes up.”
It’s two years since Chapter 25 Book Club was formed and the New Business award at the MKBAAs was its first major win.
“We were really excited just to be at the event,” said Sian, “and so thrilled to win. It was really lovely to get some recognition after the hard work we’ve put in.
“We didn’t invent book groups, but it did seem that there could be growth in the market for different people and different age groups. We wanted to reach everyone, give readers a safe space and reimagine what a community looks like. Recognition for that is wonderful.”
Find out more about Chapter 25 Book Club on their website.
