The bold bookworms staying a step ahead

6 hours ago 5

With a cold breeze that went straight through you in Melbourne on Sunday, it was the perfect day to sit inside beside the fire with a good book.

Instead, a brave bevy of bookworms rugged up and headed to the CBD to explore a novel idea – a walking book club.

Walking Bookclub members including leader Julia Lees, front, in blue; Meg Watts, front left; Kate McCarthy, behind Lees; and Mel Norris, centre at rear, wearing beanie.

As joggers in the Run Melbourne 2025 event streamed past, these intrepid souls were exercising their brains as well as their bodies, by walking beside the Yarra River and chatting about books.

Members don’t actually bury their noses in the pages as they walk, because you’d trip, says Julia Lees, who organises the Walking Bookclub through the Meetup app.

She might ask another club member what they thought of the chosen book as they stroll from Federation Square to the Royal Botanic Gardens and back, but otherwise discussion is free-range.

After a 90-minute stroll, members gather over coffee or food at Riverland Bar below Federation Square.

Lees says the Walking Bookclub is a healthy alternative to meeting in a pub.

Four years ago, Lees, a librarian, was running separate book and walking groups, when she had a brainwave – why not combine the two?

The Walking Bookclub has been a hit. It has more than 100 members and has covered books from The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro, to Here One Moment, by Liane Moriarty.

Lees said the concept is a bit healthier than having a pub meal and a couple of glasses of wine and is more informal.

First-time participant Mel Norris, from South Melbourne, said she got stuck at the end of a table at one book club held at a pub and she found it regimented.

The idea of walking and talking about books appeals to her. “I prefer the idea of moving around,” Norris said. “I feel like it’s more conducive to conversation.”

Kate McCarthy, who travels 30 kilometres from Warranwood, in Melbourne’s outer east, said that as well as introducing her to new books, the group is “really social, and it gets me up and moving on the weekend”.

Meg Watts, from Mount Waverley, described the group as fabulous.

“Walking and being outside and connection with people is good for my mental health. And reading is a passion, so I can combine them both,” Watts said.

While Lees’ group is independent, Public Libraries Victoria says the number of library-facilitated book clubs rose from 1425 in 2022-23 to 1758 in 2023-24.

Sharon Mullins, a consultant for Public Libraries Victoria, said walk-and-talk book clubs are fast becoming a popular format.

“The combination of physical exercise, a natural outdoor environment and a common interest in books creates a solid foundation for a cohesive group, with added health benefits above and beyond reading,” Mullins said.

Monash Public Library Service, in Melbourne’s south-east, runs two groups that walk around Jells Park in Wheelers Hill before discussing a set book.

And Echuca Library, in Victoria’s north, runs a group that discusses a book in the library after a walk among gum trees, overlooking the Murray River, said library services manager Jenny Mustey.

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