During the Covid-19 lockdowns, our civil society network was quickly cut off from in-person opportunities to connect and share ideas

As all activities moved online, we noticed a profound lack of opportunities to exchange vital learning and discuss the latest thinking and research. 


As a direct response, we introduced an online Book Club for Wellbeing and Connection in 2021. This project aims to provide an enjoyable and engaging platform to celebrate each other's work, support those in the civil society sector, and foster a greater sense of social solidarity and togetherness.

About the Book Club

The Book Club invites different authors, researchers and prominent thinkers to engage in lively discussions on new ideas and approaches. Each online session focuses on a timely and pertinent topic affecting our network and wider communities, such as: loneliness reduction; racial, religious and social discrimination and injustice; and, mobilising community and climate action. 

The sessions doubled up as an opportunity to build stronger and greater connections between civil society leaders, volunteers, trustees, and those that their organisations serve.

Indeed, the discussions have gone on to influence some of our own projects, such as our initiatives to tackle loneliness and strength social connectedness.

In 2022, we extended the Book Club into our wider European networks, collaborating with colleagues at ENAR (European Network Against Racism) and ENORB (European Network on Religion & Belief). This separate series of online sessions aimed to reach more civil society actors, with a specific focus on issues relating to feminism, anti-gender movements, equality, and anti-racism.

As of July 2023, we have delivered 24 Book Club sessions, engaging over 1,340 participants. So that people can continue to access the discussions, we recorded each event which can be found below. 

Each session begins with a lively Q&A between the author and presenter(s), followed by an opportunity for all participants to share and discuss ideas.

Book Club Sessions:

Associates Kate Shurety, Martina Molinari, and Rebecca Pauley, along with our Directors Mark Ereira-Guyer, Francesca Godfrey, and Sadia Akram, have served as the main facilitators for the Book Club sessions.