Starting November, the Carleton University Students’ Association’s (CUSA) Womxn’s Centre will begin hosting a monthly book club.
The book club was brought together by a few of the centre’s volunteers, including Maeghan Macpherson.
As co-librarian of the Womxn’s Centre, Macpherson was determined to find a way to ensure that more people were aware of the centre’s library and the books they had to offer.
“[The book club] is a way to try and get people to use the Womxn’s Centre library as a resource, and to get them to read the books,” she said.
A book lover herself, Macpherson noticed that she, alongside many students, was often so busy with academic readings that there wasn’t enough time to read for pleasure. The book club is hoping to change that.
“I wanted to be a part of reminding students why they love reading so much, and then also having a place to talk about those books,” Macpherson said.
Each meeting will focus around a different theme, with this month’s theme being biographies and personal essays.
Safina Vesuna, the centre’s administrative coordinator, is currently reading A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf, and said she’s looking forward to the club’s first meeting.
“I’m really excited to see the turnout and hear the discussion based on the different books folks have chosen,” she said.
Seneli Seneviratne, a first-year student and a volunteer at the centre, said book clubs allow diverse voices to be heard.
“I think it’s a cool way to learn the perspectives of other students, who see the world through disciplines different from my own,” she said. “The centre attracts the most amazing community of students, and is wholesome in a way I’ve never experienced before.”
Diana Idibe, CUSA’s vice-president (student services), said the Womxn’s Centre plays an important role in student life, including her own.
“The different services, as well as the self-care nights and femme talks are, I think, some of the most valuable things they offer to students,” she said.
Vesuna said she hopes that through the book club, people will be able to discuss new ideas, and become aware of different issues or topics they haven’t heard of before.
“It’s definitely a way for us to gain perspective, learn from each other and share our ideas,” she said.
The book club will be holding its first meeting in-centre Nov. 7.
Photo by Lauren Hicks
