From the reading circle

There was an article in Helsingin Sanomat about the literary circles of business leaders. The district is closed, and participation in it costs €1850 per year. I couldn't imagine that you can make money in the literary circle! Imatra's main library has always had a literature circle, participation in it only costs a few tax euros each year, and it is open to everyone.

In fact, our district is a reading district. Not a literary circle. The literary circle sounds too solemn. It reminds me of snotty-mouthed connoisseurs drinking tea while analyzing the classics of world literature. The reading circle is more relaxed. To participate in it, you don't need to have master's theses in literary science, or the income of a business manager.

The reading circle of the main library has gathered at least as long as I have been working in the city of Imatra, and what my predecessor librarian emeritus Riitta Hocksell remembers. Maybe there have been breaks in it sometimes, but it has always been hoped for and it has always come to life. Liisa Raitinpää was the leader of the long reading circle. After he retired from management duties to become an active participant, the library staff has mechanized the operation. I myself have been involved in it for a couple of years now.

The participants of the reading circle have been mostly women, now, in addition to myself, another brave man has joined. The gender distribution does not affect the books that are read, but the residents of the district have read with an open mind, for example, Juha Seppälä, Petri Tamm and Sami Lopakka. In a male-dominated district, the situation might be different.

Our reading circle, which meets once a month, four times in both spring and fall, has an average of 6-9 active members. Our activities are informal, there are no entrance exams or pre-registration. Anyone can join. Once, twice, every time. You can come along even if you haven't read the book in question, or if you left it unfinished. The basic formula for a reading circle meeting is that first we talk about all kinds of current issues that are on our minds, digging into the current digital world is our favorite topic, and then we take turns talking about our own reading experience and exchanging ideas. If someone doesn't want to talk, you can just listen. Coffee or tea is not offered in the reading circle, because I will never, ever, ever again make it for library events! Terrible trouble from the mokoma.

Together we decide what we read, of course as the leader of the district I try to bring my own suggestions with me. Or my own, I always ask my colleagues for help to recommend good books they have read. Otherwise, the district would just stick to military history and middle-aged domestic male writers... We discuss the books we've read in a good spirit. No one's opinion is wrong, everyone's opinion is right. I myself have gained a lot of new perspectives on the books I read from the comments of the residents of the district, many of the books I considered boring have gained new dimensions thanks to the comments of other readers.

This spring, the reading circle meets in the main library's Living Room four times, on Wednesdays at 17.00:XNUMX p.m., with the following topics:
15.1. Yaa Gyasin - On the way home
19.2. Eeva Kilve's poems
18.3. Risto Isomäki - People of the five seas
15.4. the book will be chosen later.

Welcome! Discussing reading is multi-literacy practice and word art at its best.

mika. kahkonenimatra.fi (mika[dot]kahkonen[at]imatra[dot]fi)
Tel: 020 617 6602