The Brent Cross Town Book Club, part of a wider push to revive interest in reading, particularly among young people, will run on a monthly basis.
It will include appearances from authors Victoria Selman, Erin Kelly, Chibundo Onuzo, Collette Lyons, Lizzy Barber and Emily Freud.
This format will give readers the rare opportunity to engage directly with the writers, going beyond traditional book recommendations.
Collette Lyons, one of the authors, said: “Writers are readers first, and as an author it’s a real pleasure to bring people together to enjoy and discuss books.”
The initiative follows government data showing that only one-third of eight to 18-year-olds read for pleasure. Just 26 per cent of boys and 39 per cent of girls enjoy reading in their free time.
The club meets at the Visitor Pavilion in Brent Cross Town, 145 Claremont Road, NW2 1FE, on Saturdays at 11am.
Chrissy Cullen, marketing and communications director at Brent Cross Town developer Related Argent, said: “Our Brent Cross Town Book Club is just one of the exciting initiatives we’re launching this year to bring the local community together.
“As one of the first book clubs of its kind in north London, it is open to anyone in the community and not only celebrates the joy of books but also offers members a rare and exciting opportunity to engage directly with some of their favourite authors.”
The club comes at a time when reading levels among children are a cause for concern. More than a quarter of pupils leave primary school with a reading age below 11. That figure rises to 40 per cent among white working-class children, and 59 per cent among pupils with special educational needs.
Ms Cullen said: “By fostering genuine connections and sparking meaningful conversations, we hope to inspire a renewed enthusiasm for reading and create a vibrant, intergenerational community centred around the power of stories.”
The club is inspired by the government’s National Year of Reading and Brent Cross Town is a major new park town development being delivered by Related Argent in partnership with Barnet Council.
