Starting a Book Club

How Rozmova Book Club got started 

• Our club began with many of our members attending the Kobzar Book Awards sponsored by the Shevchenko Foundation. 
• A group of us agreed that the awards highlighted well-written books that needed to be read by a larger audience.
• A small group sent out an email to a few friends and we received enthusiastic responses.
• We chose the 2012 winner Under this Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell as our first book.
• We set a date for our meeting and one of our new members volunteered to host.
• Everyone brought a sweet or savoury –  the table was brimming with food and beverages!
• Conversation flowed beautifully and we all had a great evening and vowed to make it a regular event.
• Since then we have discovered many more great books, enjoyed many wonderful conversations, and have gotten to know each other and ourselves much better.

Organizing and running Rozmova Book Club meetings

Internet is a great way to organize 

• Schedule meetings and communicate information
• Doodle is a useful tool for scheduling meetings

Optimum size is 5 to 14 members

• Too little –  not enough rozmova
• Too many –  not everyone gets to speak

Frequency of meetings

• Everyone is busy – once every 3 months is a good benchmark

Hosting meetings

• Whoever volunteers to host the meeting also introduces the book and develops a list of questions to keep the conversation going and on track

Success factors

• Make it easy and fun
• Make the meeting a social event
• Take turns in hosting the event
• Everyone brings something for the host’s table
• Designate someone to schedule regular meetings
• Be flexible and support each other
• Invite each other to other community events on arts, culture and literature