The UVSS’s “Learning Allyship & Solidarity Book Club” is back! This book club is an opportunity to read and discuss books with fellow students.
This year there are two groups: a BIPOC Session and an Open Session. Find out more below in our FAQ.
Our next meetings will take place:
- BIPOC Session: Tuesday, March 1st, 6-7pm on Zoom
- Open Session: Thursday, March 3rd, 6-7pm on Zoom
You can pick up a book at the info booth in the SUB for $5!
Right now we’re reading Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi.
It’s a powerful, deeply layered novel about a Ghanaian family in Alabama. The novel follows 28-year-old Gifty, a PhD candidate in neuroscience in her fifth year at Stanford University, and her Ghanaian-American mother, who is suffering from a deep depression.
If you have any questions, please contact comm3@uvss.ca
Who can join?
Undergraduate and Graduate students at the University of Victoria are welcome to attend LAS Book Club. If you aren’t a current undergrad or grad student but are part of the UVic community, please let us know in the registration form or reach out to comm3@uvss.ca
How do I register? **{Register here}**
Register below, through this form!
Which group should I attend? What is the BIPOC Session? What is the Open Session?
The BIPOC Session meetings are for self-identified Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Colour. If you do not identify as BIPOC, join us at the open session.
The Open Session meetings are for all folks.
I identify as BIPOC. Which session should I attend?
Whatever feels best for you! If you would like to attend the BIPOC-only meeting, please do. If you’d like to attend the Open Session as well, you are welcome to. You may attend one or both!
I identify as white/non-BIPOC. Which session should I attend?
The Open Session!
Should I read the book before the meeting?
Yes, if possible for you! Ideally, participants will have read the book or most of the book in order to contribute to the conversation at whatever level or form of participation they would like.
Where should I get the book?
Wherever is most convenient for you! You can choose to buy the physical book or the e-book. Especially if you’re ordering your book by mail, remember to give yourself enough time to read the book in time for the group meeting! If you have any accessibility concerns in this regard (if cost is a barrier, for example), please reach out to comm3@uvss.ca or a session facilitator. You can pick up the book at the info booth in the SUB for $5!
Where will the meetings take place?
Online via Zoom! Zoom links will be made available closer to the meeting date and will be emailed out to those registered.
What is the structure of the meetings?
These sessions are based on the needs and wants of the group. The following structure is based on previous Book Club meetings and is flexible depending on the group that meets.
In the beginning, facilitators will generally come to session with prepared questions or prompts. As the group continues to meet regularly, participants may come to the sessions with their own questions, thoughts, and ideas. We encourage participants to see what works for them and to communicate that to the session facilitators.
Have another question or concern? Ask us by emailing comm3@uvss.ca
What books are you reading?
- November: This Place: 150 Years Retold, a graphic novel authored by several Indigenous writers and creatives
- January: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, a historical novel about the Korean immigrant experience in wartime Japan
- March: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, a powerful, deeply layered novel about a Ghanaian family in Alabama