Literary lunches

Interview by Lee Carr 

Q: How did the book club get started?

Neal Neigel: Alberta (Canada) was experiencing a wave of COVID-19 that had us on lockdown. Several overwinter staff expressed an interest because reading would be a good reprieve from all of the Zoom meetings and group chats. A monthly meeting would be a social thing we could participate in remotely or in person, as restrictions allowed. We met in May, giving the seasonal staff time to settle in, and have been meeting on the last Friday of the month ever since.

Q: Are there participation guidelines?

A: We strongly encourage all participants to read the book but there are no requirements. We have had people with no knowledge of the book join our discussion, then read the book afterward, having been swayed by our opinions or compelling plot points. Reading is great and helps us get to know each other even better. We haven’t had any guests join us yet but we’re open to that!  

Q: How many people meet?

A: We’ve had as few as six during the shoulder season and as many as 14, for a book that garnered a lot of interest from people who previously hadn’t participated in the book club. The Royal Mayfair turf department has around 30 staff in total, which includes a mix of seasonal and leadership staff, so attendance has been good.

Q: What is a typical meeting like?

A: We meet after our shift. There is usually a theme for beverages and food, related to the story and inspired by the “Finer Things” club in the TV show “The Office”. For example, a book with a winter setting had minty beverages and desserts; a book featuring a superfood salesperson and a “secret family recipe” called “Broc-o-Glop” was reflected with a vegetable spread and cranberry juice. We get creative with it. One person is in charge of directing conversation about the book and there are a lot of great resources online to help with how to do that. We start with what we like and what we don’t about the novel, what the theme might be and what it meant to us, things like that.

Q: Has there been a favorite book?

A: Our books have been “Crow” by Amy Spurway, “Fifteen Dogs” by André Alexis, “Moon of the Crusted Snow” by Waubgeshig Rice, “Hench” by Natalie Zina Walschots, “The Midnight Bargain” by C. L. Polk and “Gutter Child” by Jael Richardson. All the books have been regarded well but there isn’t a standout favorite given our very diverse opinions. That said, literary themes are often universal and, so far, our books have covered mortality, social justice, colonialism and racism. Who can’t relate to these themes? Plot points aside, no one should be excluded from these conversations and fiction is a safe way to approach them.

Q: How are the books chosen?

A: Each month, people can suggest a book for the group to read the following month. We try to read contemporary Canadian authors but leave it open in regard to themes and genres. Everyone votes anonymously on the interest they have for reading a book from the list (from “not interested at all” to “very interested”) and the book with the most interest is selected.

Q: How is the club doing?

A: With autumn and a diminishing seasonal staff, we have seen a slight decrease in participation. Several staff that have returned to school have asked to be kept informed of the book we are currently reading as well as the date of the meeting so that they can continue to participate as schedules allow.

Q: Is there anything else you want to share?

A: We were surprised at the amount of interest the book club had! We were fully prepared for it to be just the three of us that originally had the idea of reading a book each month without much fanfare. We hope this inspires others to start their own book clubs … the interest is probably there!

Lee Carr is a Northeast Ohio-based writer and frequent Golf Course Industry contributor. 

Book club benefits 

A book club can be great for helping staff members get to know each other and for engagement among full-time and seasonal employees (even during the off-season), and it can promote a healthy work-life balance. A variety of titles from sports biographies to literary classics to bestsellers means something is available for everyone. Books can be shared if individuals don’t want to buy a copy, libraries often have “book club sets” that can be borrowed, and interest in the social camaraderie and conversation, though ideal, doesn’t require a close reading. Check if anyone on your crew is interested in taking the initiative to start a book club and you might be surprised.