Amid COVID-19 lockdown, Oxford University launches 'Ten-Minute Book Club'

Amid the coronavirus outbreak as people continue to utilise the time in quarantine to spend enhancing their hobbies, University of Oxford has launched a book club introducing a new way for people to enjoy literature and spark rich conversations about reading. Naming it the ‘Ten-Minute Book Club’, the initiative by English faculty of the university will release a selected book every week that could be finished in exactly ten minutes. Every Friday the Oxford academics will select and post a free literary excerpt that the members of the club can read quickly and will also be paired with free resources and introduction by an expert suggesting themes or contexts for people to brainstorm. The book club that started this week with W.E.B.Du Bois’ 1903 book, ‘The Souls of Black Folk’, would continue until October. The Book Club is a collaboration among The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH), the Faculty of English and LitHits, which is a free app being created at University. We're delighted to announce the launch of Ten-Minute Book Club with @TORCHOxford & LitHits. Every Friday we'll post a free literary excerpt that you can read in just 10 mins, plus an intro by an Oxford academic, suggesting themes or contexts to consider. https://t.co/OPMXm2MLAK — Faculty of English (@engfac) August 11, 2020 Read - Author DL Jennings’ Mom Spots His Book In Local Library, Her 'proud Smile' Wins Hearts Read - Devin Booker Flirts With Kendall Jenner On Instagram After Superb 35-point Game Vs OKC Book Club aims at making ‘great conversations’ Head of Humanities at University of Oxford Karen O’Brien has said that the ten-Minute Book Club aims at making ‘great conversations’ about literature along with letting the members have a quick insight into some of the greatest writing by astounding writers from all sorts of backgrounds. She also said that the academics believe literature is ‘more important’ now as the people are living through the COVID-19 pandemic and millions are adhering to a brand new lifestyle. Karen O’Brien said, “Ten-Minute Book Club aims to make a great conversation about literature possible, and to offer a quick and accessible way into some of the greatest writing by extraordinary writers from all backgrounds, guided by Oxford’s expertise on exciting authors and books". Meanwhile, Oxford academic Dr Alexandra Paddock also said that the people involved in the making of the club noted how during the COVID-19 lockdown, several people have resorted to literature for escape and excitement. However, she added, that the pressures of lockdown and the new normal during the pandemic has made it a challenge to have prolonged sessions of reading and thus they came up with the idea of the Ten-Minute Book Club. Dr Alexandra Paddock said: “We noticed during lockdown that so many people turned to literature for escape, connection and excitement, but at the same time that the pressures of lockdown were making long, intense stretches of reading harder for many of us. That is why we set up Ten-Minute Book Club, although we strongly believe its content will be relevant and useful long after the current restrictions have been removed." Read - Bihar Speaker Unveils A Book On Crosswords In Hindi Read - Deepika Padukone Features In Louis Vuitton's Fictional Book Club By Nicolas Ghesquiere Image: Representative/Unsplash

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Amid COVID-19 lockdown, Oxford University launches 'Ten-Minute Book Club'

Amid the coronavirus outbreak as people continue to utilise time in quarantine to spend enhancing their hobbies, University of Oxford has launched a book club.

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