In a society that increasingly finds itself devoting hours on end to screens and isolationism, one young woman in Charleston is bringing people together to find a sense of community in a traditionally solitary hobby.
Ellery Frost is a passionate young reader, writer and, most recently, community organizer whose intimate reading get-togethers have created connections and sparked conversations among those who love to read.
“I have always thought books are such a beautiful way of getting to walk in someone else’s shoes for a little bit (and to) see life through someone else’s perspective,” Frost said. “I love how it builds bridges between people and how it grows empathy among people.”
Frost said she loves gathering people together, hosting regular dinners with friends.
“I love bringing people together in a shared experience, particularly one that is not on your phone,” she said.
Frost, who grew up in Virginia before relocating to the Charleston area, argues that people continue to shift toward the digital world, and she wants to provide an alternative to that by offering the book lovers in Charleston a different approach to reading.
Ellery Frost welcomes those in attendance to the third reading party she has hosted. The reading party was held on Oct. 29 at Queen Street Grocery.
Inspired by Reading Rhythms, a group based in New York City, and The Offline Club out of Amsterdam, Frost decided to host her very own reading party in Charleston back in June of this year.
“People are hosting reading parties throughout New York City and Brooklyn, and I loved that idea, and I wanted to bring it to Charleston,” Frost said. “I was actually able to go up and attend one of their events in New York City over the summer and just thought it was such a beautiful way to bring people together.”
The concept behind a “reading party” is different from that of a book club. The idea is that the host arranges a location, usually a café or small bookstore, and opens the venue to all of the book readers in the area. Attendees can bring any book of their choosing: one they have started, one they have never opened or maybe one they are reading for the third or fourth time, it truly does not matter.
The gathering typically devotes the first portion of the evening to independent reading, followed by a period of time where a local author or poet shares some of their work. The evening concludes by having those in attendance break into groups and discuss what they are reading with complete strangers.
“One of the things I like about this, as opposed to a book club, is that you get to read the book that you want to read,” Frost said. “I haven’t loved book clubs because they feel more restrictive because you are all required to read the same book. (I think reading parties) are an easy entry point to cultivate conversations around books.”
Frost said people are bringing books from every genre you can think of, and it’s been really fun to see people from completely different ends of the book spectrum sit at a table and chat about it.
Frost has now hosted three such parties, the most recent of which was held on Oct. 29 at Queen Street Grocery.
The first hour of the reading party is devoted to independent reading.
Like a tenured educator, Frost was able to quiet down the room of about 30 people and explain the parameters of the evening.
The first hour was devoted to independent reading. Guests were allowed to sit anywhere they liked, but most stayed with their friends.
For the next 60 minutes, the room stood still. All one could hear was the turning of pages and the creaking of chairs. No one talked.
At the halfway point, Frost introduced Abby Duran, a local spoken word artist and poet, who shared some of her work with those in attendance.
At the conclusion of Duran’s remarks, Frost instructed everyone to sit at the table with the word that most accurately described the book they were reading. The words they had to choose from included: unusual, thoughtful, cozy, gripping and inspiring. Once they arrived at their new seat, they had the remaining time to share about the book they were reading with a group of strangers who were reading something similar.
“I think it does take a little bit of courage to do this,” Frost said. “What has surprised me the most is how conversational it is. It is so fun and so loud and everybody chats for such a long time. I love that people who love books want to talk with other people who read.”
The next reading party will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at Babas on Meeting, 804 Meeting St. Tickets to attend are $15, which covers drinks and snacks.
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