The Reading Clubs Network, which is articulated through the Andalusian Center for Literature (CAL) under the Ministry of Culture and Sports, currently has «363 clubs, formed by about 15 to 20 readers each and distributed in more than 300 locations, mostly rural,» as reported by Patricia del Pozo. In this way, Almería has 39 clubs, Cádiz has 42, Córdoba has 37, Granada has 46, Huelva has 48, Jaén has 27, Málaga has 56, and Seville maintains 68. In total, there are around 7,000 readers from Andalusia who meet at least once a month to share their impressions on the readings they have done.
Given that most of these reading clubs are located in small towns, this network has become an «example of grassroots culture,» as well as a true «backbone of social and cultural life in rural Andalusia, especially considering that more than three-quarters of its members are women, and a large proportion are over 45 years old,» Del Pozo pointed out at an event where, alongside the rector of the University of Málaga, Teodomiro López, the agreement signed by CAL and the academic institution to promote the creation of 25 reading clubs among students was announced.
Del Pozo also mentioned that currently, the Reading Clubs Network annually mobilizes almost 2,000 sets of books with around 20 copies each, mostly from the Andalusian Center for Literature, but also some from the public library network. «Its operation in 2024 resulted in about 1,256 activities with approximately 16,000 readings of these volumes throughout Andalusia,» summarized the councilor.
In addition to the reading clubs in public libraries, the Andalusian Center for Literature is collaborating with reading groups in other areas, such as schools, prison facilities, and women’s associations. Communities of readers that have now been joined by university students through this agreement signed with the University of Málaga. Del Pozo described this agreement as «pioneering,» as the Ministry of Culture’s intention is to «extend it to the rest of the university communities in Andalusia in the future with similar agreements,» Del Pozo stated.
In this regard, the rector of the University of Málaga emphasized that the signing of this agreement «reaffirms the University of Málaga’s vocation as a cultural engine and agent of social transformation in the province.» He also highlighted that the alliance with the Andalusian Center for Literature will allow the development of new initiatives that benefit both the university community and Andalusian society. «Our mission as a public university goes beyond technical education; we also seek to promote creativity, critical thinking, and civic engagement through art, literature, heritage, philosophy, or science,» he added.
Meetings with Authors
The reading clubs are stable groups, composed of about twenty interested individuals, who read the same volume at the same time and meet regularly, especially in public libraries, to analyze and discuss it.
In addition to managing, organizing, and making the titles available for discussion, the Andalusian Center for Literature organizes various activities that enrich the operation of this network: from training actions to provincial meetings of reading clubs, where distinguished authors meet with readers. Authors such as Almudena Grandes, Eduardo Mendicutti, Ángeles Caso, Carmen Posadas, Julio Llamazares, Clara Sánchez, Rosa Regàs, Rosa Montero, Salvador Compán, Víctor del Árbol, and Benjamín Prado have participated, along with prominent representatives of Andalusian literature like Antonio Soler, Juan Cobos Wilkins, or Ana Rossetti, Hipólito G. Navarro, Miguel Ángel Oeste, Sara Mesa, or Cristina Sánchez-Andrade.
Starting in 2023, author meetings have become small-scale, in collaboration with municipalities and municipal libraries or regional networks, such as the one in Aljarafe, Seville, promoting face-to-face interactions between readers and writers. Additionally, various specialized reading cycles have been programmed, taking advantage of the Portugal-Spain Encounter in 2024 in Huelva and Seville or commemorations like those of Franz Kafka or Joseph Conrad, with joint reading cycles in Málaga.
According to the 2024 Reading Habits Survey by the Spanish Publishers Guild Federation, 62.6% of Andalusians identified as book readers in their leisure time, a percentage that increased by 3.5 points compared to the previous year, although it remains below the national average (65%). Reading rates among young people aged 15 to 18 are higher, with 80% of them claiming to read at least one book per quarter.
