They're not what you'd expect to find on a typical Monday night at a pub.

People cheers-ing over sports games? Yes. But a group of readers, silently pouring over books in tandem? That's thanks to Malcolm Johnstone, who started B.C.'s first Silent Book Club in Victoria in 2019. In months recent, the West Shore has followed suit with one of their own.

The phenomenon – which spans 57 countries – started in San Francisco in 2012 when friends Guinevere de la Mare and Laura Gluhanich read together at their neighbourhood wine bar. When their previous book clubs had fizzled out, they asked themselves: what about a book club where you could enjoy books, friends and drinks without the homework?

It's an idea Johnstone latched onto: all readers welcome, BYOBook. Just a group of people settling in f

See Full Page