Nottinghamshire &amp; Derbyshire


<p>Silent book clubs are having a moment. Dubbed &#8216;introvert happy hour&#8217; these gatherings of bookworms are popping up at cool cafés and community spaces all over Notts &amp; Derbyshire.</p>



<p>No designated book to read. No pressure to discuss and pick apart. Just you, your current read, and companionable silence. Brilliant if you never seem to find time to read, these screen-free socials usually allow chance for a spot of chit-chat before and after a blissful hour of quiet reading. Fancy it? We&#8217;ve rounded up the best silent book clubs near you.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/book-pexels-landscape-thought-club-1024x683.jpg" alt="woman with afro reading a book in a window seat" class="wp-image-17098" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/book-pexels-landscape-thought-club-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/book-pexels-landscape-thought-club-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/book-pexels-landscape-thought-club-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/book-pexels-landscape-thought-club.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-silent-book-club-hathersage"><a href="https://www.openhousehathersage.com/events?tag=Clubs%20and%20Meetups" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Silent Book Club</a>, Hathersage</h2>



<p>A two hour book club at super-chilled community space, Open House Hathersage, where there&#8217;s no set reading. Held from 7-9pm on the last Thursday of the month, bring your own book, spend the first half hour settling in, grabbing a drink and finding a cosy spot, then spend an hour enjoying a companionable reading experience as everyone reads together at their own pace. Focused, quiet reading time &#8211; an introvert friendly social meet up, no small talk required (although the final half hour is a chance to catch up and chat if you fancy).</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-silent-book-club-nottingham"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/sbcnottinghamsw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Silent Book Club</a>, Nottingham</h2>



<p>This Beeston book group meets on first Wednesday of each month at the warm and welcoming <a href="https://thelounges.co.uk/bendigo/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bendigo Lounge</a>. BYO book (ebooks, audiobooks, textbooks, comics, novels, anything goes), settle in and say hi from 6pm. There&#8217;s a chance to share what you&#8217;re reading (but no pressure to) and introduce yourself, before a quiet reading hour from 6.30pm. Afterwards, feel free to stick around and chat, keep reading, or head home for the night. Meetings are free to attend, but you&#8217;re encouraged to support the host location by buying a drink or something to scoff if you can.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-derby-silent-book-club-carnero-lounge-derby"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/derby.silentbookclub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Derby Silent Book Club</a>, Carnero Lounge, Derby</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/Silent-Book-Club-Derby-1024x683.jpg" alt="Silent Book Club Derby" class="wp-image-17102" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/Silent-Book-Club-Derby-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/Silent-Book-Club-Derby-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/Silent-Book-Club-Derby-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/Silent-Book-Club-Derby.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Order drinks from 6pm and meet your fellow bookworms. Then it&#8217;s silent reading time from 6.30pm until 7.30pm, before a half hour chat until 8pm if you fancy sticking around. The next events are Tues 10 and Wed 18 March.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-silent-book-club-sherwood-nottingham"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/divinecoffeehouse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Silent Book Club</a>, Sherwood, Nottingham</h2>



<p>Anything goes at this monthly silent book club at Divine Coffee House in Sherwood. Meeting on the third Wednesday of each month, you&#8217;re encouraged to bring whatever book you want, or pick one from the club&#8217;s own shelves. Reading hour starts at 7pm, with a chance to mingle and get to know fellow bookworms from 6.45pm and afterwards until 9pm. The next meet is Wed 18 March at 6pm. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-silent-book-club-belper"><a href="https://bookclubs.com/join-a-book-club/club/belper-silent-book-club" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Silent Book Club</a>, Belper</h2>



<p>Read together in silence at Belper&#8217;s silent book club at <a href="https://www.dollysonline.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dolly’s</a>, a cosy café, lifestyle shop and creative space. Kicks off at 6pm when you can socialise, settle in, and bag a special deal of hot drink and sweet treat laid on by the book-loving owner. Then it&#8217;s a distraction-free hour of reading. And if you forget a book, Dormouse Books is on hand with a selection for sale.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tired-mummas-book-club-sherwood"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tiredmummasbookclub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tired Mummas&#8217; Book Club</a>, Sherwood</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/Tired-Mummas-1024x683.jpg" alt="stack of books at Tired Mummas' Book Club Sherwood" class="wp-image-17101" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/Tired-Mummas-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/Tired-Mummas-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/Tired-Mummas-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/nottsderbyshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/03/Tired-Mummas.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Never find time to read because you&#8217;ve got your hands full with a baby or tiny tot? This one&#8217;s for you Mama! Hosted at Jenkins Bar in Sherwood, enjoy 30 minutes of silent reading of a book of your choice, followed by discussion, recommendations and general chatter. No pressure, no commitment, just a chance to relax with like-minded people. The next one is Wed 11 March at 7.30pm.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-silent-book-club-chesterfield"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/silentbookclubchesterfield/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Silent Book Club</a>, Chesterfield</h2>



<p>Sink into a silent literary world at Chesterfield&#8217;s popular Silent Book Club. With both daytime and evening options, this one meets during the day every other Tuesday in the annexe at Chesterfield&#8217;s board game café <a href="https://boardandbean.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Board &amp; Bean</a>, and on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-artcore-cafe-derby-0"><a href="https://artcoreuk.com/visit-us/shop-cafe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Artcore Café</a>, Derby</h2>



<p>Warm, friendly and open to everyone, this daytime shared reading group that meets every Thursday from 11.30am-12.30pm. Not heard of Artcore before? It&#8217;s a charitable cultural and community hub housed in a two-storeyed, street-facing corner building in the city centre. Stay for lunch afterwards (the café is fully vegetarian and vegan). </p>



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Bookworms welcome: The rise of the silent (but social) book club

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