Literati Just Launched Five New Celebrity Book Clubs
Literati, a startup known for its book box subscription for young readers, is launching a line of celebrity book clubs for adults.
Susan Orlean, Stephen Curry, Malala Yousafzai, Richard Branson, and the Joseph Campbell Foundation are the first five to select books.
Each individual book club costs $24.95 a month, and will begin shipments in October.
In 1996, Oprah Winfrey launched her book club, creating a trend in the publishing world. Today, readers can choose books recommended by Oprah, of course, but also by Jenna Bush Hager, Reese Witherspoon, Emma Roberts, the rapper and poet Noname, and the hosts of Good Morning America, to name a few.
As of today, the list of celebrity book clubs just got a lot longer. Literati, an Austin-based book subscription service, is launching five new book clubs with monthly picks chosen by "luminaries," as they're called by Literati, or celebrities, as they're more commonly known.
Announced on August 19, Literati's first celebrity-led book clubs are helmed by Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry, Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist Malala Yousafzai, author Susan Orlean, billionaire Richard Branson, and the Joseph Campbell Foundation, set up to continue the influential mythologist's work posthumously.
"When it comes to what we read, we tend to look to people we admire to make suggestions. Books are aspirational," Literati founder and CEO Jessica Ewing tells OprahMag.com of the appeal of celebrity-led book clubs. "We just ultimately picked people where we were like, Man, we just really want to know what they're reading."
For a monthly price of $24.95, users can subscribe to an individual book club box, each revolving around a different theme or "intellectual brand," as Ewing calls it. "We wanted for the first set to show diversity of thought and book club types," she says. The book clubs are described below, but their first picks will be kept secret until they are shipped in October, along with notes from the curators.
Steph Curry's Underrated looks at stories of underdogs in the realms of sports, social justice, and beyond. "The theme is defying the odds and forming success out of nothing," Curry tells OprahMag.com.
Run by the Joseph Campbell Foundation, Myth and Meaning will feature some of the late mythologist's most-loved books.
With Reading with Richard, the entrepreneur Richard Branson highlights books of adventure and advice that has played a role in the making of a mogul.
Chosen by Malala Yousafzai, Fearless amplifies the voices of women often neglected.
Writer Susan Orlean revisits her own shelves for Personal Collection, and picks her own favorites. "These are books I really love," Orlean tells OprahMag.com.
After signing up for one book club (or more), subscribers will also have access to Literati's exclusive app, where they can chat about the pick with other readers—you know, like an in-person book club.
"One thing I’ve loved about participating in book clubs is the discussion with my friends after we’ve all finished reading. People are also looking for community and conversations. So many of us have been lonely this year," Malala tells OprahMag.com.
Literati first launched in 2016 as a book subscription box for young readers. "Our goal, with the kids' product, was to find hidden gems and put new authors and illustrators on the map," Ewing says.
According to Ewing, the aim of Literati's new product is to cultivate reading habits among adults. "We all want to read more. It's something that can fall to the wayside in the age of distraction," Ewing says, comparing Literati's book club to a motivational workout or mindfulness app. "Reading is mental fitness, it's psychological fitness. It's healing, and it's good for us. We need a product that motivates us to read, and to read together."
If Curry, a six-time NBA All-Star, can fit reading into his schedule, then so can we. "Finding time to read is extremely hard," Curry says. "We all have busy jobs and for those of us who have families and kids, you know time is never about you, but you just got to get creative and disciplined about it. At the end of the day that’s what makes it fun—it’s a challenge that comes with a sense of accomplishment, and starting a new journey."
Already, celebrity-led book clubs have demonstrated a proven track record for connecting readers to books, and driving sales—so much so that NPR called them a "ticket to success" for authors. In fact, Ewing says Literati was inspired by Oprah's intention, in 1996, to "get the whole country reading again" with her revolutionary book club.
"So many of America's most iconic authors are known because of Oprah's Book Club. We needed to build a platform to extend the work she's doing in the world and make this possible for more people who can put authors on the map," Ewing says. "She was my inspiration for Literati."
However, Literati's curation style differs from other prominent book clubs in one major way: Rather than sticking to mostly new releases, Literati's choices won't adhere to publishing calendars. The emphasis is on curation and personal taste.
"Books don't have an expiration date. I don't think it's necessary to only look at new releases. In many cases, the books that I'm picking are phenomenal books, fantastic books that didn't necessarily get a huge commercial embrace," Orlean says of her picks. "There's a good chance people missed them."
Like all celebrity-led book clubs, Literati's will try to replicate the intimacy of receiving a book recommendation from a trusted source. For Orlean, whittling down her selection wasn't difficult: She gravitated toward the book she'd already been enthusiastic about. "I thought about the books, in the last few years, I bothered people to read," she says.
Each of Literati's luminaries, though, has a different curation method. For Reading with Richard, Richard Branson revisited books that had been meaningful to him throughout his life. "I get the same sense of childlike wonder thinking about what they meant to me at the time. It’s great to look back on lessons learned with fresh eyes and amazing how often you can take something new from something old," Branson tells OprahMag.com.
Malala, who just graduated from Oxford—will amplify young women like herself with her picks. "I will be looking for books from young women and first-time authors," she says.
Thanks to Literati, the celebrity book club space just got even more crowded. As Jenna Bush Hager and Oprah once told each other, though, there's always room for more—especially in times like these.
With our orbits limited by quarantine, there's never been a better moment to read, and to connect with others through stories. "A book provides the opportunity to travel. To go into a different world. It has absolutely provided me with an outlet that is almost urgent when you're not able to get out and experience other places and people," Orlean says.
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