Reading alone, together is all the rage at book doofs and reading parties. What makes it social?

By Shakiba Barghi, PhD Candidate in Publishing and Communications, The University of Melbourne

It’s called a doof, but it’s actually all about quiet reading. There are beanbags, some chairs and a few shared tables, where readers sit (or lie) down and read their separate books. Maybe some music playing in the background. Book Doof’s founder calls it a social experience. But can people reading their separate books alone, together, really be social?

Reading has long been a social activity. One…

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