How do you set up a book club

Q. What are book clubs and why do they exist
A. Also known as reading groups, essentially they are a forum for discussion, an added incentive to meet up with people and a way to introduce each other to new reading experiences and encourage those who don't read to do so. They have always been around, but have recently found wider popularity, particularly with women, by association with celebrity book-clubbers, such as Oprah Winfrey, whose 21 million-member club converses by e-mail.

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Q. How do you organise the first meeting
A. You need to make it clear what is expected of participants - careful reading, active participation in selecting and discussing books and having fun. You also need to decide what types of books your group wants to read and sort out the logistics of holding these meetings - unless like Oprah you communicate by e-mail or even by post. How long should the meetings be Will you meet at a library Coffee shop Pub Private homes Libraries and bookshops Do reminder messages need to be sent out by mail or phone

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Q. What factors need to be considered
A. Will you have a leader or chair Will the same person be in charge for each meeting or will you rotate leaders Some groups bring in an outside 'expert' (who may need to be paid). Do you want the leader to give a brief biography of the author and a selection of reviews of the book under discussion

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Q. How many people should be in your group
A. Groups of between five and ten people seem to work best. Any more than that makes for too many points of view and shyer people might feel less inclined to contribute.

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Q. How do you choose what books to discuss
A. This is probably the hardest thing. Members of the group should be prepared to compromise and to read outside their regular areas of interest. (Some people will drop out if the books chosen are not what they want to read; don't worry, this is not unusual.) Go with the majority opinion, but remind people that there can be a big difference between 'a good read' and 'a good book for a discussion'. Choose books well in advance - three months is not an unreasonable period. People need to know what's coming up so they can read ahead. In addition, you don't want to have to spend time at each meeting deciding what to read next. Also, make sure the book is rreadily available and not too expensive.

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Q. What makes a good book for discussion
A. Probably the most important criteria are that the book be well written, have an interesting plot and three-dimensional characters. Good book-discussion books present the author's view of an important truth and sometimes send a message to the reader. Such a book often stays in the reader's mind long after the book is finished and the discussion is over. That's part of the fun: introducing and being introduced to new authors and genres.
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Q. How do you lead the discussion
A. Research your author: The Dictionary of Literary Biography gives biographical and critical material for bigger writers. Find book reviews in Book Review Digest and Book Review Index. The Internet is often another good source for reviews of the book and biographical information about the author.

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Come prepared with 10 to 15 open-ended questions. Remember, 'yes or no' questions tend to cut off discussion quickly.

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Questions should be used to guide the discussion and keep it on track, but be ready to let the discussion flow naturally. You'll often find that the questions you've prepared will come up naturally as part of the discussion.

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Remind participants that there are not necessarily any right answers to the questions posed.

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Don't be afraid to criticise a book, but try to get the group to go beyond 'I just didn't like it'. What was it about the book that made it unappealing The style The pacing The characters Has the author written other books that were better Did it remind you of another book that you liked or disliked Remember that many of the best book discussions centre on books that many group members disliked.

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Try to keep a balance in the discussion between personal revelations and reactions and a response to the book itself. It's often too easy to let a group drown in reminiscences. If that's what the whole group wants to do, fine, but keep in mind that it's not a book discussion.

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Q. Can you get help or advice with starting a club up
A. The Book Trust distributes a 'how to set up a book club' leaflet. Call for details on 0973 150 720. Waterstone's bookshops also do one, and all branches should have copies. Penguin, the publisher, has a reading group and offers advice on how to start a group off. Details can be found at http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/packages/uk/readers/index.html

Finally, there are a couple of books on the subject: The Reading Group Handbook by Rachel Jacobsohn (ISBN 0786883243), The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Reading Group by Patrick Sauer (ISBN 0028636546) and The Reading Group Book by David Laskin and Holly Hughes (ISBN 0452272017)

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Q. If you can't be bothered to set up your own, how do you find out about existing groups
A. Try the library, local bookshops and colleges. Some pubs and clubs even run them. Keep an eye on notice boards in your local.

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By Simon Smith