Wokingham Literary Society

The Wokingham Literary Society exists to encourage the appreciation of literature. In 2005 it celebrated its 50th anniversary and currently the society has a membership of over sixty. An annually-elected committee arranges a varied programme of events.

The core of the programme is a series of fortnightly evening meetings, which run from September to April each year, when talks are given by members on literary topics of general interest. Sometimes these concentrate on a single author or poet; at other times a particular theme may be selected.

These talks usually lead to lively discussions and often introduce members to new books worth reading. It is a great strength of the Society that a sufficient number of attractive topics are offered by members at the AGM for the committee to compile a varied and stimulating programme of meetings.

Occasionally the Society is privileged to have a guest speaker expert in some specialist area. During the 2007-2008 season we had two visiting speakers, Prof Michael Hattaway who spoke on "Thresholds - in the Nineteenth Century Novel", and Val Pretlove who introduced us to Literary London.

There is also a programme of play readings, theatre visits, a poetry group, a book group, an annual outing, and an annual dinner.

During the summer months informal "I have been reading" sessions are held at members' houses where we discuss the books we have read recently. There is also an informal evening gathering where members and their families come together for good food, drink and conversation.

The 2008-2009 series of talks will take place in the Baptist Church Main Hall in Milton Road, Wokingham. The room is immediately beside the church to the left-hand side. Meetings begin promptly at 7.30pm and finish at 9.30pm with a coffee break in the middle (tea and coffee are free). Parking is available in Milton and Rectory Roads.

The annual subscription for 2008-2009 is £10.00.

The only qualification for membership is an interest in literature in its widest sense. You do not need to live in Wokingham; a number of our members come from outside the town. New members are always welcome and any of the officers of the society will be glad to answer questions about the Society and its activities. Our new programme begins on Thursday 18th September 2008 and we look forward to meeting you.

For more information or encouragement, contact:
Rosemary Hughes (Chairman) - 0118 978 6782
Margaret Wall (Secretary) - 0118 934 1564

Our programme for 2008-2009 is shown below.

History of Wokingham Literary Society

Past Programmes

More about Wokingham
Wokingham Times - getWokingham
Welcome to Wokingham
History of Wokingham

Updated 25 August, 2008