Silent Book Club - Exeter
Silent Book Club is a global community of readers and introverts, with more than 1000 chapters in 50 countries around the world led by local volunteers.
Exeter City of Literature began hosting the Exeter branch of Silent Book Club in April 2024 - this has expanded to two sessions a month in 2025 due to popular demand.
Silent Book Club Exeter
Penguin Takeover
90 years ago, at Exeter St. David’s station, Allen Lane was inspired to create Penguin Books after he couldn’t find a good book to read. In 2023, Exeter City of Literature continued this decades old mission by introducing the Penguin Books Vending Machine at the station, in partnership with Penguin.
Now in 2025, Penguin and Exeter City of Literature are collaborating once again to celebrate the joy of reading
We're incredibly excited to share that Penguin will be hosting a Silent Book Club takeover in July! Our regular sessions at Topsham Brewery (Wednesday 2nd July) and The Hour Glass Inn (Tuesday 15th July) will feature literary gifts, sweet treats and more, as we wish Penguin a very special 90 years!
Our Silent Book Club is free to attend and runs from 6pm - 8pm, but for these special editions in July we'd recommend joining us a little before 6pm to guarantee that you'll get a space!
If you would like to attend and would benefit from a book token to purchase a new book to read at Silent Book Club, please fill out this form, and we'd be happy to help. Please note we only have a limited number of book tokens available each month.
Silent Book Club Exeter
Readers at the first Silent Book Club Exeter session in April 2024 at The Hourglass Inn.
A typical Silent Book Club session spans from 6pm-8pm.
Attendees arrive and settle in between 6pm-6:15pm. We begin reading at 6:15pm for an hour, and from 7.15pm we stick around for post-reading chats and a drink (though there’s no pressure to stay, you are welcome to read & go!).
If you would like to attend and would benefit from a book token to purchase a new book to read at Silent Book Club, please fill out this form, and we'd be happy to help. Please note we only have a limited number of book tokens available each month.
As of January 2025, Exeter’s Silent Book Club happens twice a month.
We meet at Topsham Brewery on the first Wednesday of every month. RSVP (optional) to the next session here on Wednesday 2nd July
We meet at The Hourglass Inn on the third Tuesday of every month. RSVP (optional) to the next session here on Tuesday 17th June
Both sessions take place from 6pm - 8pm and are free to attend. We hope to see you there!
Topsham Brewery
Upcoming Dates
For 2025
Wednesday 2nd July 2025
Wednesday 6th August 2025
Wednesday 3rd September 2025
Wednesday 1st October 2025
Wednesday 5th November 2025
Wednesday 3rd December 2025
The Hourglass Inn
Upcoming Dates
For 2025
Tuesday 17th June 2025
Tuesday 15th July 2025
Tuesday 19th August 2025
Tuesday 16th September 2025
Tuesday 21st October 2025
Tuesday 18th November 2025
Tuesday 16th December 2025
In November 2024, Exeter UNESCO City of Literature Executive Director Anna sat down with Caroline Densley from BBC Radio Devon to talk about Exeter’s Silent Book Club, stories of attendees who have joined us, and the sheer amount of silent reading and writing clubs that are available in Devon!
About Silent Book Club
Silent Book Club started in San Francisco in 2012 with a couple of friends—Guinevere de la Mare and Laura Gluhanich—reading in companionable silence at their neighbourhood bar.
At Silent Book Club, there's no assigned reading. All readers are welcome—ebooks, audiobooks, textbooks, comic books... it's BYOBook.
Silent Book Club is about community. Everyone is welcome, and anyone can join or launch a chapter.
Other Silent Book Clubs in Devon
Looking to join a Silent Book Club but not near to Exeter? Here are some additional branches that meet across Devon.
Bideford - Silent Book Club Bideford
Crediton - Silent Book Club at Amapola Wine Bar
Plymouth - Plymouth Silent Book Club
Tavistock - Tavistock Silent Book Club
Torquay - Torquay Silent Book Club