Peshawar Book Club: Debating over literature in the midst of turbulence

The Peshawar Book Club has already arranged 4 sittings, each having a number of 15 members. The recent book club sitting that took place on 13th July, 2016, where the readers discussed The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, was one of the most interactive sessions: The Nation

The book club is not only intended for readers, in fact, for writers, these are desirable discussions to have, because the books are actively being deconstructed not only for their meaning, but also for the elements that worked and those that didn’t. As a writer, the desire to dissect a book for its themes, symbols, allusions, recurring imagery, and all things sub-textual should be obvious. A deep understanding of any text helps one understand how books are assembled. Writers should be reading actively anyway, and also writing about their thoughts. But if this activity is performed in a group setting, one can have his/her ideas countered or supported/expanded upon, and it also helps in enriching the understanding of the book.