This is Allens

Claire: Our book club was started by India Gharris a couple of years ago, with the support of our Sports and Wellness Committee.

While initially really popular, lockdown saw our meetings stall. One day, with India moving to another firm, John asked if I'd convene a meeting of the club. So with the regular encouragement of many other members, I'm now the one who gets the invitation out for our monthly meetings, which have become a much-loved feature of the Brisbane office social calendar again.

I like to think of John as a kind of mascot for our book club. Though the only bloke who regularly attends the meetings and twice the average age of our members, he's such an enthusiastic contributor to our wide-ranging discussions and his love of books is something we all share.

At the height of our COVID lockdown, with John wanting to support Brisbane institution Folio Books, all our members were invited to pick up a book of our choice. It sparked our shared love of reading again in a time when everyone needed a little boost.

We all know that it can be hard sometimes to switch off and make time for things that don't feel urgent or important. Often book club rolls around and I don't feel I can fit it in. But I collect the wine and cheese, sit down with friends, and for a few hours we talk about a book or two and I stop carrying on about how busy I think am…it is never time wasted.

John: An email came around from India asking who'd be interested in a book club. I've always loved reading, and I've never been a part of a book club, so I thought 'why not?'

There are about 50 people on the official list, and 10 or 15 who show up each month. At present, I'm the only bloke who attends regularly. Those who meet are mostly women under 30. After my first meeting, I did wonder whether I should fade gracefully into the distance so as not to cramp the style of the rest of the crew. But I was set straight pretty quickly – being enthusiastically encouraged to continue. I've been going along ever since.

Unlike other book clubs I've heard of (you know who you are), we actually discuss the books we read – but don't ignore the wine, cheese and chit chat. Most, being lawyers, are opinionated and only too willing to share their views and critique the text. We've read widely – everything from Rodham and Song of Achilles to Northern Spy and The Secret History. Hell Has Harbour Views is next on the list, a recommendation from Julie Barber, a Melbourne refugee, who dropped in on a few of our meetings recently.

Being a 60-year-old bloke discussing some fairly personal topics with a group of young women hasn’t been as challenging as I thought it might be. In fact, book club has been a great leveller. It reminds you that we're all just people with our own quirks and perspectives. I think it's helped to foster respect and understanding among people who might not otherwise have a reason to connect other than as fellow workers, which is a great thing.