Hi I am Sreela. I’m putting up a page on my own site, (which is largely unused these days) because this allows you to see who I am on the about page, and the kind of blog posts I write, before you decide you want to read alongside me.
Jeanne Langley runs a very good book club at the UWC already. I belong to it. But I haven’t been able to attend for over a year now. I have sustained a brain injury, and am able to read less often. I also prefer to read some non-fiction books. So when Lucasz asked if I would like to volunteer to open a new book club, because there is some demand – I said yes, but I don’t know if I could run it as Mrs Langley does – and he said that the rules of this club, if I were to start it, would be mine to set.
So this is what I’ve suggested: We’ll aim to read a couple of non fiction books of my choice, and three or four others of the memberships choice – these can be novels or other non-fiction. So, I am going for just 6 books each year. We will discuss what we read – and if a member hasn’t finished it, they will be invited to come and share their thoughts anyway, particularly if it is one of my non-fiction selections. Zoom rooms will be used for discussions, with small groups, so we can all be heard. Sessions will at first be only on Zoom and can be led by volunteer group members, plus Lucasz.
We will re-join a plenary session for feedback from all groups before we conclude . The main room discussion will be recorded and then uploaded on the UWC site, as an audio or video, for anyone who missed a book, but was interested in the topic.
We can from time to time meet in person, with plenty of notice, at the club. We won’t be on Zoom, as well as at the club at the same time. If we meet at the club, we will also have supper together.
I want to start with a non-fiction book
(This is a part of my rehab – I have been doing some background work on Margaret Noble’s work in India.)
I want to start with a book by Margaret Noble, a teacher who went to India and resolved to teach middle class Indian women, to read and speak English. I have been reading about her as a part of my ‘recovery process’ from the brain injury. In order to alleviate my sense of isolation, and also to introduce her works to club members, I propose we start with ‘The Master as I Saw Him’ a biography she wrote about her teacher, Vivekananda.
Here is a link to an article I wrote elsewhere on this site, about Margaret Noble, (called Sister Nivedita, after her initiation). You will see that I am a fan, like many other Indian women.
The day Margaret Noble met this monk, Swami Vivekananda, who was to inspire her to set off from Wimbledon to India, was 10th November 1894. I mentioned this to Lucasz, who could see that this would be a great day to obtain approval for starting this reading group, which would start out with a book by her. He said that he would propose it to the events committee on 10th November 2023.
I am waiting for their consideration and hopefully, their approval.
Lucasz will let us know if the committee approves.