Italian Reading Groups

In Italy the word is "Gruppi di Lettura" (GdL).
An Italian public library recently organized a meeting about reading groups and libraries.
This is the nice poster they used:

It titles: "Here a strange reader comes". Even if the topic focuses on reading groups related to libraries there is much to consider about reading groups themselves. 

An interview to Luca Ferreri (who wrote a book on the topic:  Il lettore a(r)mato), tells a lot about the topic.

Here is a short summary.

The history of 'istitutional' reading groups is quite recent and it is impossible to define reading groups since each one is unique. Nevertheless they all aim to defend reading as a social activity: indipendent and livey. 

There are two kinds of reading groups(RGs): the Anglo-Saxon and the Latin-American. The Anglo Saxon RG are light and funny, closer to editors and mass media. The LatinAmerican model deals with the need of cultural  emancipation, is closer to the school system and stands on familiar and community basis. 

The Italian RGs seem to be a mix of the two models: it relies a lot on libraries, and it aims to be light even if the target are mostly seasoned readers. 

The RGs have a social value: they gather and value people who share the love for culture, people that usually are isolated from each other and tend to hide from the rest of the community. 

Luca Ferrari thinks that the RGs in Italy are a growing trend, but that they need unity and network to grow properly.

Indeed there is a blog about Italian RGs, a work in progress aiming to gather all the existing Italian RGs, to help new ones and to be a platform for experience exchange.

In Verona there is at least one reading group: Il Circolo dei Lettori di Verona, founded by LiberAmente.

It was hosted by Società Letteraria and now is hosted by Joy Bookstore, it aims to connect and to cooperate with libraries, bookstores, editors, theatres and more.