More than 400 people are expected to gather at St. Anne\u2019s Academy Sunday morning, brought together by a love of reading and a desire to connect with fellow bookworms.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of book lovers are set to flock to the grassy lawn of St. Anne\u2019s Academy on Sunday morning for an event designed to turn reading from a solitary activity into one surrounded by community.<\/p>\n
Dubbed a \u201creading party,\u201d the event was organized by two women set on connecting people through their love of reading.<\/p>\n
UVic writing grad Melanie Brouwer owns Meant Well Books, a bookstore on wheels she started last year. The idea is simple: Brouwer drives a Japanese mini truck with custom-built shelves of books and parks it at local events.<\/p>\n
She said the idea for the event blossomed when she saw how quickly a community formed around her book truck.<\/p>\n
The first reading party last summer hosted over 100 people, the second over 200, and Brouwer said about 400 people have signed up for the free event this year.<\/p>\n
Each event starts at 11 a.m. and involves time for setup and introductions, dedicated reading segments, and plenty of time to mingle and connect with other readers.<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s event will include local musicians playing ambient music, vendors like Routine Coffee & Supply and Kid Sister Ice Cream, and a poet creating on-the-spot pieces for those interested, said Brouwer.<\/p>\n
\u201cReading is getting more popular,\u201d she said. \u201cI think books are having a huge moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brouwer said people tell her they\u2019re thrilled to have a dedicated time away from their phones to read and connect with others. \u201cPeople are looking for things that are analogue,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The event was co-founded with Cam Majander, a Victoria woman who founded an Instagram page in 2023 called \u201cSimon Says\u201d, dedicated to helping people make friends through social events.<\/p>\n
Majander started the page after she moved to the city and wanted to meet people, but noticed that most events were designed for going with people one already knew.<\/p>\n
Majander said books have a special way of helping people make friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just such an easy, beautiful way for people to come together,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
People don\u2019t have to struggle through awkward small talk because they can ask others about the book they\u2019re reading and quickly feel connected on a more personal level, she said.<\/p>\n
She added that the event is indicative of a move away from technology, noting that most participants bring paperbacks and hardcovers rather than e-books.<\/p>\n
Meeting in-person removes the sense of pressure people often face on social media, she said. \u201cIt feels so much more genuine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana Orgnero attended the first reading party and said she was impressed by the dedication of all the readers who came, even when the weather took a turn.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt one point, it started misting a little bit, and nobody cared,\u201d she said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
Orgnero said she went alone to the first event and quickly made friends with other like-minded bookworms.<\/p>\n
The event introduced Orgnero to new books and reminded her of how reading used to be \u2014 before social media.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something special to returning to what it was when I was a kid \u2014 to just be a kid reading underneath a tree.\u201d<\/p>\n