TikTok launches virtual book club, starting with Austen's Persuasion

TikTok has created a virtual book club for users to find new titles and read along together, starting with Jane Austen’s Persuasion, first published in 1817.  

Each month a new book will be announced and users will be encouraged to share their experiences. The initiative was first mentioned at last month’s Marketing and Publicity Conference. 

There will also be a #BookClub hub in the app, so users can easily find out about the month’s title, and start creating and sharing their own reviews. TikTok said Persuasion was chosen as the first book for discussion because of its recent Netflix adaptation, as well as recognising “the BookTok community’s passion for the classics, with other much-loved titles like The Great Gatsby and Pride and Prejudice also finding a fanbase on TikTok".

“Jane Austen herself even has a dedicated community of followers on TikTok who share their love her books collectively under the hashtag #AustenTok which now has 16.2m views” the social media platform said.  

The wider BookTok hashtag has nearly 65 billion views to date and is one of the most active communities on TikTok, influencing book sales globally.  

Its new book club initiative will also work with five "BookTok Laureates" – @li.reading, librarian @jackbenedwards, @cocosarel, author @Bmercer and @edenreidreads – who will share their thoughts while reading the novels themselves. At the end each month, they will co-host a live in-depth discussion of the novel.

The book club is expected to continue beyond the summer. James Stafford, head of partnerships and community at TikTok said: "It’s been amazing to see BookTok grow into a truly global phenomenon, which is having a profound impact on the literary world. From spotlighting little-known authors and genres to introducing the classics to a new generation, BookTok has helped to reignite a passion for literature and we are creating a new take on the much-loved book club format, so our community can continue to connect, spark conversations and share the books they love most."