ONE of Bahrain’s oldest civil societies has launched a book club to highlight publications about Bahrain and the Gulf, support local literature and host discussions with authors and translators.
The Dilmun Reading Club is now accepting registrations from interested individuals, and is set to launch in September under the umbrella of the Bahrain Historical and Archaeological Society, according to club president Latifa Zubari.
Although most of the books will be in Arabic, the reading club will also feature English-language books, and will include a women-only reading circle focused on books by Bahraini women.
The club also aims to promote reading about history and heritage, cultivate a society of critical readers, support local writers and bring together book lovers to discuss books and exchange ideas.
“There will be two types of events organised by the club: a book discussion and hosting authors,” Ms Zubari told the GDN.
“We will cover one to two books per month, and we will invite some important guests – impactful individuals who have made a name for themselves on Bahrain’s cultural scene,” she added.
“People already started registering, and many are excited about the club. It will be eventful and engaging.
“The society has long hosted other reading clubs on its premises since it’s a good place for events and is spacious, but now we have our own club.
“We have a new idea to organise events for women, highlighting women’s literature, novels about women or motherhood, and we have planned such events to take place throughout the annual programme.”
She stated that the club will launch in September, the same time as the launch of the society’s cultural programming of the year, and the date will be announced in the near future.
Besides monthly sessions with authors and translators, the Dilmun Reading Club will also dedicate some of its meet-ups to reviewing journalistic work and will run reading-related contests.
“We’ve had this idea for a long time, aiming to strengthen Bahrain’s reading culture,” Bahrain Historical and Archaeological Society vice-president Mohamed Lori, who is also the club’s supervisor, told the GDN.
“Latifa was tasked with running the club as she is a voracious reader and is quite knowledgeable about world literature, especially when it comes to history and Bahraini authors.
“She’s had experience with book clubs in the past, and will be the one curating the books and the programme.
“I heard that there was a reading club at the society, a very long time ago, perhaps in the 70s or 80s, but it was exclusive for club members and was English-exclusive.”
The Bahrain Historical and Archaeological Society’s upcoming cultural season will be its 72nd. The society’s annual programmes feature a long list of informative lectures and panel discussions.
n Those interested can learn more and find out how to register to join the club on the society’s Instagram account @historical1953.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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