How Diwan's Book Clubs Are Building a Community of Readers

In this era of doomscrolling and dopamine dependency, reading had become an increasingly niche hobby, one you’d find difficult to bond over with any of your closest friends. And while that may still be the case for many people, book clubs are making it a little easier. What was once a solitary pastime is becoming more and more of a way to meet new people, discover new books, and, most importantly, talk about your literary passions.

That sense of community is also at the heart of what Diwan is trying to build. As Amenah Abouward, Head of Creative and Community at Diwan, explains, “Our book clubs are an organic expression of our intention to create a culture of reading and provide a third space for the reading community.” With five monthly clubs across English, Arabic and French, each one has also taken on a personality of its own, shaped by the branch, language and people who keep coming back.Every month, readers get to decide what they want to read next, putting forward their suggestions before voting on the final title. The winning book is then discounted store-wide for the rest of the month, rather than just for book-club members. There’s no registration or membership fee, so you can simply turn up and see what everyone’s reading.

There are currently English-language clubs in Zamalek and Majarrah, an Arabic club in Heliopolis and a French club in Zamalek, alongside author-moderated sessions. “Each has taken on a personality of its own,” Abouward says. While the format remains the shame, the clubs are shaped by the language, branch and the people who show up regularly. Most members also speak more than one language, so it’s not unusual to see the same people attending more than one book club in a single month.

The moderators are also members of the Diwan Community, volunteering their time to lead the discussions. “They’re readers who share our values and donate their time to something they love doing,” Abouward says, adding that it shows in the ownership they have over their individual book clubs. Many members return because of the connections they’ve made there, something Abouward says Diwan owes to its moderators and their willingness to take on what she describes as “a labour of love.”

One of the longest-running examples is the Zamalek book club moderated by novelist Talal Faisal. Alongside bringing his own literary perspective to the discussions, Faisal often invites guests from the cultural scene, including authors, journalists and other writers. Recent guest editions have also included a session with Bassem Khandaqji, Palestinian novelist and author of 'A Mask, the Color of the Sky'.

The book clubs offer attendees the opportunity to share their thoughts, opinions and feelings about the book being discussed, while also getting a window into the perspectives of others around them. And sometimes, the conversation can even be enough to make someone want to pick up a book they had previously abandoned.

Beyond their current book clubs, Diwan is now bringing the same concept to a younger audience with two new book clubs launching at its Gouna branch, one for readers aged 7–11 and another for those aged 12–18. The younger group will include guided reading, activities, phonics and vocabulary support, while the older group will focus on critical reading, interdisciplinary discussions and reader responses.

There’s no registration needed and the clubs are completely free, so you can just turn up and join the conversation. The English clubs in Zamalek and Majarrah, along with the Arabic club in Heliopolis, usually meet during the last week of the month after 5 PM, traditionally around 7 PM. Diwan shares the monthly dates and selected books on its Instagram and website, while the community WhatsApp group keeps the conversation going in between meetings.

And if you haven’t finished the book by the time the meeting rolls around, that’s fine too. Readers and aspiring readers are welcome, and Abouward says members who haven’t finished a book or simply hadn’t picked it up have more than once become interested in it because of the discussion.