We have all been readers at some point in our lives but sometimes, as we grow older and get sucked into the demands of our daily existence, we often need a nudge here or a push there to get back to our reading days of yore. And there’s no better nudge than that from a group of like-minded individuals, who read together and therefore, inspire you to read. The members of The Dancing Words, a book club for the members of the Ladies Study Group (LSG), fresh from being nominated as one of the top five book clubs in the country at the fourth India Reading Olympiad by the Food 4 Thought Foundation in Hyderabad, know more than just a thing or two about it.
Started during the presidency of Abhilasha Sethia in 2016, The Dancing Words has helped the ladies of LSG not only return to reading but also get better at networking amongst women of similar thoughts and perceptions. And through the pandemic, they have continued to hold virtual book club sessions where they have had writers such as Farah Bashir, Alka Joshi and Anindita Ghose join them on their screens to discuss their respective books. “The primary objective of starting the book club was to encourage members to read more and to also use the meetings as an opportunity to initiate and promote meaningful interactions amongst the members. As president then, in keeping with the LSG principle of expanding horizons, providing new perspectives and forging friendships among its members, I thought that the book club would provide the perfect vehicle to realise these objectives ,” said Abhilasha.
The diversity in the books the club chooses is evident in some of the titles that they have read recently. Rumours of Spring: A Girlhood in Kashmir by Farah Bashir, The Illuminated by Anindita Ghose and The Last Queen, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni are titles that, if viewed as a yardstick to gauge their taste, give them top marks. So what do the members of the book club feel?
“I had joined the book club with the intent of getting back to reading. Discovering books from different genres, analysing, deliberating and meeting the authors have been an enriching experience. Even though we missed the award, being nominated and making it to the top five was commendable in itself. Kudos to the book club!” said Ritu Almal, book club committee member. Meanwhile, LSG member Sunita Goenka said, “I have been a member of this book club since its inception in 2016. While I have always been an avid reader, this gathering has forced me to reach outside my comfort zone and read many books that maybe I would never have opened. I have learnt greatly in my travels of the literary world as we have covered multiple genres and periods in history. They have taught me to think outside the box and I am extremely grateful to Abhilasha for starting this initiative and her and Ritu for continuing the hard work of selecting suitable books and organising the interesting and interactive meetings thereafter.”
But beyond reading and networking, their goal is a greater one of promoting literacy and therefore, to further spread the joy of reading. “Our goal is also to help drive literacy programmes at orphanages and other schools for the underprivileged. And to distribute all kinds of reading material and stationery to old-age homes, community libraries, community children’s clubs and any other organisations that we might be able to help,” added Abhilasha.
Sumita Roy
Meanwhile, the nomination of the LSG book club is good news for the entire organisation. “I congratulate Abhilasha for initiating the LSG book club in her year of presidency. Since then, the avid readers have boosted our image and now, the news of their nomination as one of the top five book clubs in the country is a proud moment for all of us at LSG. I hope the larger goal of driving literacy programmes in underprivileged schools will be successful too,” said Sumita Roy, current president of LSG.
Images courtesy: LSG
