Book raves aren’t what they immediately sound like with a load of introvert bookworms reading Prophet Song while 140BPM jungle breaks pierce their eardrums. No, book raves are relaxed affairs despite the name.
Take a book to a nightclub or bar, sit on the floor, and read quietly while a DJ plays ambient music. It sounds like a joke, but “book raves” and reading parties are spreading in cities around the world, and they are now reaching Ireland.
It could be seen as performative sure, and a place where you’d imagine it’s hard to actually concentrate on the actual book in favour of looking around, but book raves are taking off and it’s obvious they offer a social group connection for a solitary pursuit, and are a novel way to read a novel.
There was a book rave in Wexford after a spate of viral social events of their type worldwide and a Dublin reading party event is happening on Sunday November 15th.
The latest viral example is the JUCY Book Rave in Tokyo. On Saturday September 26th, SPREAD, an underground club in Shimokitazawa, was turned into a communal reading space from 10am to 2pm. Carpets covered the dance floor so that people could sit, lie down or lean against the walls, with ambient and electronic music playing at a moderate volume. Around 1pm the music got louder, and anyone who wanted to dance could.
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Brooklyn, Melbourne and Zurich
The idea did not start in Japan. Reading Rhythms began in Brooklyn in 2023 and combines silent reading with live music, DJ sets and conversation. Its organisers say it has since spread to more than 20 cities.
In Melbourne, Book Doof, which describes itself as “being social in silence”, holds daytime events at a bar in East Brunswick. They are inspired by rave culture and mix reading, DJ sets and book swaps. Reading Party Melbourne runs similar nights.
In Zurich, Fabian Weingartner started the Silent Reading Rave in 2019 after finishing his studies, adapting a silent reading party idea he had come across. Between a dozen and 40 people read together for about two hours in parks, yoga studios and cafés. It is not-for-profit, and it moved online with muted microphones during lockdown.
The oldest version is Silent Book Club, which began in San Francisco in 2012 when two friends started reading together in a bar. It now says it has nearly 2,000 chapters in more than 55 countries, with members bringing their own book and reading quietly for about an hour.
Why it is happening
Organisers say the appeal is a social setting without the small talk, which suits introverts, and a reason to step away from phones. They also say the events help reduce loneliness. Some attendees have made friends there, and some have met partners. Reports from Tokyo describe the events as popular with Gen Z, and similar nights are reported to be growing in New York and Seoul.
A book rave is coming to Dublin
Music For Reading To, an ambient reading event hosted by Trontsephore and AYJAY of Purelove, takes place upstairs at the Barebone restaurant and Hi-Fi bar on Camden Street on Sunday November 15th at 7pm. It is billed as the first ambient reading event in Ireland. The organisers say there has been a book rave in Wexford, but that this one is “the chill out room”.
The night, from the Purelove events series, has a “zero snobbery” policy on what you read. Kindles, paperbacks, graphic novels, comics, airport books and even knitting patterns are all welcome.
Early bird tickets have sold out, but tickets are available via Resident Advisor.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
