Inaugural 'Beyond The Book' Book Club

Join us for the inaugural Beyond the Book Book Club. This book group is for you if you love reading and want to go deeper into some of the social questions you encounter when you read. We welcome the perspectives of anyone working in related policy and research areas or engaged in activism on a topic. We seek a range of voices and experiences in the room to help promote deeper thinking and a respectful exchange of views and opinion – prompted by a book or books. Participation is free: all welcome.

The discussion will be introduced and guided by ANU English lecturer Dr Bridget Vincent, a specialist in literature and ethics. This event is an activity of the Freilich Project for the Study of Bigotry, an ANU research and public engagement program.

Our first book will be Eleanor Catton’s Birnam Wood. 

How can Catton's gripping eco-thriller help us think in new ways about environmental activism? At this guided discussion event, participants will use our experience of reading of Catton's Birnam Wood as a springboard for discussing activism in our own communities. What might we learn from discussing this book? What might we learn from each other?  

Here are book club questions that will form the basis for our discussion:

• What do you think of the representation of the activists in this book?
• Are the Guerrilla Gardeners arranging deckchairs on the Titanic in the face of the power of a figure like Lemoine, or are they doing something useful, even if it’s potentially doomed?
• How should society deal with the environmental dangers posed by billionaire figures like Lemoine?
• Let’s talk about tone and irony: how much are we meant to sympathise with the figure of Tony? Is he just ridiculous, or is he also a tragic figure?
• Did this book help you think about some of its central environmental ideas in new ways? Which ideas and why?
• How does this book help us think about our collective complicity and participation in environmental harms?
• Does the book leave any room for hope?

Copies of the book are available through The Book Cow (mention the book club or use the checkout code BEYONDBOOKCLUB at check out to get a 10% discount). We look forward to seeing you!