To organise and run a successful book club, you need to stick to a few basic rules, and the rest will fall into place on its own.

Firstly, you need to find out if there is a need for another book club in your area. You might find that there are several running already. Ask around, and go to your local library to see if there are any posters up. The librarian might know if there are any around. Ask you friends to see who might be interested in coming along.

Secondly, you need to find a venue. You want somewhere warm and welcoming. Someone might offer the use of their living room, or you might choose to rent a room or go to the pub. If you rent a room, make sure that it is cosy enough to encourage free speech - you don't want to use a lecture hall. If you choose a pub, make sure that you meet on a quiet day. Some members might not be too pleased to speak when other drinkers are listening. You should have a word with the landlord, too, and make sure that he doesn't mind.

You now need to choose the time of day to hold your club. This is quite tricky.You need to balance the needs of your members. Some people might need to get up early, and not want to be out too late. Some might need time to put the children to bed before they come out. Some might not get in from work until early evening and need time for a bite to eat before they come out again.

Once the admin is all sorted, you need to decide how formal you want your meetings to be. Will you each take turns to speak about the chosen book, or will you just chat? Will refreshments be readily available, or will you break for refreshments? Will you take minutes to record everyone's views? In my opinion, the looser the format, the better. This should be a fun evening. Having said that, someone needs to be aware that shyer members might have difficulty getting themselves heard, and should ensure that everyone gets a turn at speaking.

Choosing books is another matter to be addressed. You might choose to shadow another club, such as the Richard and Judy book club, or an award like the Mann Booker Prize. Alternatively, you might allow one member to choose each week. Try to get a varied selection of books. The point of a book club is not only to meet to discuss books, but also to stretch your reading habits so that you try things you might not otherwise have picked up.

You won't know how successful your club could be until you start it. It might just be you and your friend for the first two meetings, but stick with it - even that is worthwhile!

Learn more about this author, Susan Hibberd.
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