Book Club Mania: Reading Becomes a Fashionable Trend in Italy

A national survey by S.T.O.R.I.E. reveals that approximately 300,000 Italians participate in book clubs, with 1,253 active groups identified—one in every 200 people. These clubs transform reading into a collective experience, fostering intergenerational communities. During Milan Design Week, the second edition of the Miu Miu Literary Club at Circolo Filologico Milanese featured roundtables, readings, and performances based on Simone de Beauvoir's 'Gli inseparabili' and Fumiko Enchi's 'Gli anni dell'attesa'. Curated by Olga Campofreda in dialogue with Miuccia Prada, the event focused on female identity. Miu Miu acted as an editorial subject, selecting texts and formats. At Dior, Jonathan Anderson's debut included a Book Tote series inspired by classic literature covers, collaborating with French publisher Les Saints Pères. Dior also launched the Dior Book Tote Club video series. Celebrity-led book clubs by Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Emma Watson, Dua Lipa, and Dakota Johnson have gained large followings. Dua Lipa's Service95 platform expanded to live events in 2025, including a December gathering at the Chelsea Hotel in New York with Mark Ronson. In Rome, FOROF, founded by Giovanna Caruso Fendi, launched Silent Reading Parties in November 2024 in collaboration with La Setta dei Poeti Estinti, part of the Caffè Culturali Contemporanei project inspired by early 20th-century avant-garde cafes.