How Silent Book Clubs Are Bringing Readers Together In The UAE

When Abu Dhabi resident Rika Burger logged into Instagram sometime last year, just like any other day, the algorithm gods blessed her feed with reels of people sitting silently, hunched over their books, and reading outdoors in sunny Cape Town.“People were sitting on​ the street and on camping chairs outside, reading on a Sunday, and the street was closed to traffic,” she says. She learnt that they were part of the Silent Book Club Cape Town, the local chapter of the US-based Silent Book Club, which, as the name suggests, is a silent book club with many such local chapters across the world.“And I thought, wow, that's really cool. I really want to start doing this.”

Unlike a regular book club, which selects a book for its members to read and discuss, a silent book club is not governed by such rules. Members are free to bring their current read-along and read in silence until they are ready to leave - even before the session​ ends - and are not expected to stay to mingle or discuss what they are reading. ​It's ​no wonder that silent book clubs have often been described as an introvert's dream come true.

In April last year, Burger emailed the US team to inquire whether she could start a local chapter in Abu Dhabi.“And they said, please start one because when someone tried it a few years ago, it didn't really take off. So, I started it,” she said. Burger created an Instagram account for the ​brand-new Silent Book Club Abu Dhabi and posted details about its first, one-hour-long meet-up in May last year, at a café.“It was basically myself and seven friends,” she recalls.“After the session, one of the ​attendees said she couldn't remember the last time she left her phone alone for an hour. And that was really amazing to her.”

Another member, who hadn't read in years, read 25 books last year alone.“He messages me every time he goes to a bookshop, saying, 'I am going to go bankrupt because of you',” she smiles.

Today, the club meets thrice a month on Sundays at 10am, at cafes or, if the weather cooperates, at parks.“Sometimes, we're up to 35 people as people bring their friends along, and more book clubs join us. Some people get breakfast or lunch, and we chat about what we're reading. I always bring about eight to 10 extra books if anyone wants to do a book swap.”

Some members are as young as four, she continues, and it's free and open to all.“I'm not an introvert myself - I do like to get everybody together and see them come out of their shells, or just chat with others,” says Burger, who teaches at a British school in the city.“With so many of us here without our families, it can become really quiet... This is a really nice space to connect with other people.”

Silent book clubs are also burgeoning elsewhere in the UAE. Dubai resident Rose Hicban says she is currently working to officially register her silent book club, inspired by Silent Book Club, as ​its Dubai chapter.“My friends and I started the Instagram account in 2024 to ​​spend two to three hours every week with other book lovers,” she says. They meet every month at cafés and libraries around Dubai, she says, and have held 12 meetups so far.“Anyone can bring any book they want - fiction, non-fiction, manga or anything. She explains,“We usually get around 10 attendees and have a chat afterwards. We're trying to reach other book lovers to grow the community.”

The allure

Dubai resident Shipra Gupta, who works as a data scientist, started the silent book club Write in September last year and has organised two meet-ups so far, along with co-organiser Jihan Suarez.“We meet at the park, open cafés, or my house,” she says.

Gupta​ explains that sessions last between one and two hours.“​Everyone comes with whatever book they are reading. We arrange some snacks as well. At the beginning of the session, we introduce ourselves and then start reading. Towards the end of the session, we discuss our books. If someone wants to leave early, that's totally fine.”

“I live alone, and it's hard to make friends here sometimes, and I am sure there are many people like me,” adds Gupta, who shifted to the country five years ago.“So, I wanted to build a platform where people could come out and enjoy their time with books.”

The allure of silent book clubs, she explains, is that people are free to read whatever they want.“Everyone has their own favourite genre, and I am not in favour of everyone reading one book.”

Mehr Hussain co-founded Read Between The Lines (RBTL) - a silent book club and offline activity community rolled into one - with her friend Genny Barbieri last year.“For now, we do silent reading for one hour, and an activity after it,” explains Hussain.“On March 15, we are hosting a silent reading session and pottery activity.”

They hosted their first event in October 2025 and have since organised meetups in cafés and community spaces across Dubai.“On average, we organise two a month. Some months, we host additional gatherings or creative events, but the silent reading sessions remain the heart of the community,” she says.“We wanted to build an offline community where people can show up with whatever book they are reading, sit together, put their phones away for a bit and slow down for a while.”

Explaining the format of their meetups, she says they begin with an hour of silent reading.“Then we open the space for about 15 minutes of mingling, where people can chat, exchange recommendations, or simply connect with others. We also usually include around 30 minutes of a light creative activity, such as art therapy, journaling prompts, creative games, or small workshops connected to reading and creativity. The idea is to engage different senses and make the experience feel both relaxing and inspiring.”

When silence is golden

Dubai's The 100 Page Club, which is exclusively for women, held its first meetup in July 2025 with seven members. Since then, they have ​had more than 10 meetups, including silent reading sessions.“Today, we cap each meetup at 20 to 25 members to keep it personal and meaningful,” explains the founder, Nikita Garg.

Emily, who has attended about seven Silent Book Club Abu Dhabi meet-ups, says she loves reading with others, without the pressure of having to read the same book as everyone else.“The art of sitting in silence and taking an hour out of what is often a busy week, to sit among others who enjoy reading themselves, is very relaxing,” she says.

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