Patna: At a time when smartphones and social media dominate everyday life, a growing number of book lovers in Patna are choosing to switch off, pick up a book and spend time in the company of fellow readers. Often over a cup of coffee, these informal gatherings in cafés, restaurants and parks are turning reading into a shared experience, where stories spark conversations and strangers become friends.The growing popularity of book clubs reflects a desire to find meaningful connections beyond the digital world. For many, these meetings offer a welcome escape from work and daily routines, providing an opportunity to slow down, discover new authors and exchange ideas.Rahul Deo Sharma, founder of Bookvalent, a readers’ community in Patna, said the idea took shape during the Covid-19 pandemic, when restrictions on physical interaction brought home the importance of human connections. The community was formally launched in 2021 to bring together people with a shared love of reading.“Reading communities give people a sense of togetherness and belonging that cannot be experienced online. We meet at restaurants or parks for an hour or two and read books we have chosen. We also try to stay away from our cellphones during these sessions,” he said.Bookvalent holds silent reading sessions as well as discussions on books, authors and their works. There are no restrictions on language or genre with Hindi and English literature enjoying equal space. Writers such as Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Premchand and Harivansh Rai Bachchan feature alongside contemporary authors such as Divya Prakash Dubey and international names like Khaled Hosseini, Paulo Coelho and George Orwell. Works by Arundhati Roy also find a place in the discussions.The community has gradually built a regular readership of more than 20 members with millennials forming a significant part of the group, Sharma said. The sessions allow readers to discover unfamiliar authors and look at familiar works through different perspectives.Kreativ Beings, founded by Gaurav Sinha, is another initiative seeking to make reading a shared pursuit. After running an online book club for nearly a year, Sinha recently began organising offline gatherings in Patna. The group continues to meet online every week, while members get together in person once a month.Sinha said the initiative aims to encourage collective reading while fostering learning and a sense of community. It also gives budding authors an opportunity to interact with readers and share their experiences of writing and getting published.Such interactions help readers appreciate the effort that goes into bringing a book to life, he said. Experienced and aspiring writers are invited to discuss their work, while different moderators lead sessions to encourage participation, exchange of ideas and informal conversations.Though their formats differ, both communities share a simple idea: bringing people closer through books. For some, the gatherings revive a reading habit lost in the rush of everyday life; for others, they open doors to unfamiliar writers and new perspectives.In an increasingly screen-driven world, these reading circles offer a refreshing change. No notifications interrupt a conversation, no one is expected to respond instantly and there is no endless scrolling. Just books, fellow readers and conversations that often outlast the sessions themselves.
