Words with friends

Forget endless scrolling: book clubs are back, with men as well as women joining and festivals hosting groups from every culture and background. Book club members report deep friendships, greater wellbeing and maybe even greater empathy

Mary Henchy of the Ennis Book Club at the de Valera Public Library in Ennis, Co Clare Pic: Oisin McHugh

Always seen as a nation of storytellers, Ireland now has residents from all over the world with rich stories to share from their homelands, and Beyond Borders Book Club was created to facilitate that.

This diverse group is a growing movement where readers of every nationality, race and creed come together to suggest their own favourite authors, titles and stories, highlighting that no matter what our background, we all love a good story.