Book Clubs in Singapore: Where to Find Your Reading People

The quickest way to join a book club in Singapore is to choose your format, then go where those clubs gather: Meetup for the Silent Book Club, NLB's GoLibrary for library clubs in four languages, and Instagram or Telegram for independent clubs. If nothing fits, starting a small club of your own is easier than it sounds.

Book clubs are having a moment

You are not imagining it. A 2024 Business Times report, republished by the National Institute of Education, found that Singapore-based book club listings on Eventbrite rose 58% in the first five months of 2024 compared with the same period a year earlier. Meetup said book club events doubled in May 2024 from a year before. NLB had 70 volunteer-led reading communities, making up over half of its LearnX groups, with each meeting drawing between 15 and 60 people.

As NIE's Professor Loh Chin Ee put it in that report, "reading is both communal and solitary." A book club lets you have both.

Silent Book Club Singapore

If the idea of a set book and a discussion feels like homework, try a silent book club. The concept began in San Francisco in 2012, and Singapore's chapter was started in May 2022 by Sisilia Kodyat with her friend Jennifer Tan.

According to its Meetup page, the format is simple:

• Arrive between 2pm and 2.30pm, order a drink or snack, and chat briefly about your book.
• Read in silence from 2.30pm to 4pm.
• Bring any book you like. There is no assigned title.

Sessions are on Saturday afternoons, recently at Chai Tea at 16 Collyer Quay, where attendees are asked to order food or a drink. RSVPs are required and numbers are capped at 25 confirmed participants, so book early. The next listed session at the time of writing is on Saturday 21 November 2026. Its founder has described it as "a private event without any social pressure" and says it is perfect for introverts.

Free book clubs at public libraries

The National Library Board runs and supports book clubs in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil, for adults, seniors, young people and children. NLB's Reading Nation site lists them, and GoLibrary carries current meeting dates and registration. Some clubs ask you to register by email, while others, such as the Taxi Shifu and Friends Reading Club and the SG Writings Reading Club, are free with no registration needed.

A few English-language examples from the list:

• Book Lovers Club, a bimonthly club for adults.
• Heartlands Book Club, formed under Read! Singapore.
• The Next Chapter, for readers aged 50 and above, and The Golden Circle, for seniors.
• Singapore Literature Book Club, focused on local writing.
• Migrant Library Singapore Book Club.
• Writing the City Writers' Group, if you write as well as read.

With clubs for every age group, library book clubs are a good low-cost way to meet people outside your usual circle.

Independent clubs and bookshop events

Singapore's independent scene moves quickly, so treat these as starting points and check each club's channels for current dates.

• Bookworm Banter at Book Bar. Book Bar, at 57 Duxton Road near Tanjong Pagar and Maxwell MRT, is an independent bookshop cafe focused on Singapore and Asian writers. Grazia reported in August 2025 that its monthly Bookworm Banter opens with silent reading and moves into a social session, with sign-ups through Book Bar's Instagram.
• The Saturday Book Club. Founded in 2022 and focused on non-fiction, with no set reading list. Members bring their latest read to share. Grazia reported meetings on the third Saturday of every month, with sign-ups via Telegram.
• Quiet Readers Club. Each meeting starts with an hour of silent reading, followed by relaxed small-group chats.
• No Readgrets. A women-led club focused on local literature, with discussions on social justice, politics and equality.

National associations run clubs too. ANZA lists a book club among its social groups, and Expat Living notes the American Association of Singapore runs book clubs. Both welcome members of other nationalities.

Go to the Singapore Writers Festival

If you want to meet a lot of readers at once, the 29th Singapore Writers Festival runs from 13 to 22 November 2026, with the theme Hidden in Plain Sight. It has more than 200 programmes and over 300 writers, speakers and moderators, across public spaces, bookshops and libraries. There are free programmes, and SG Culture Pass credits can be used for selected festival experiences. Talks and workshops are natural places to strike up a conversation about what you are reading.

Making the most of your first meeting

• Read at least some of the book. Even half gives you enough to join in.
• Arrive early. The small talk before the start is where you meet people.
• Ask a question rather than giving a verdict. "What did you make of the ending?" invites people in.
• Go back at least three times. It takes a few meetings before faces become friends.

Start your own book club

Sometimes the club you want does not exist yet. NLB publishes a free Book Club Guide with tips on setting one up, and a library space or a quiet cafe makes an easy venue. Start with four to eight people, fix a regular day, and choose shorter books for the first few meetings.

To find your first members, you can post a card on Now I'm Open, a new web app launching from Singapore, such as "Open to starting a small SingLit book club, Tiong Bahru, monthly Sun pm", or simply "Open to a silent reading afternoon at a cafe, Bugis, Sat". Visibility is mutual and opt-in, location only shows at area level, and a chat opens only when both of you say yes.

For more ways to meet people through shared interests, see our guide to where to meet people in Singapore.