If you are trying to motivate yourself to read more, or you enjoy chatting about books with others, you’ve probably thought about joining a book club. There’s lots of different book clubs out there, but what if you joined a book club for men where everyone gets naked?
“It’s not a sex party…” explains Gareth Johnson. “It’s social naturism. Each month, we get together, take our clothes off, and talk about the book that we’ve been reading.”
The host of the Naked Men Talking podcast, Gareth says that starting the book club wasn’t a completely altruistic move.
“I wanted to spend less time scrolling through social media feeds but was struggling to focus on reading a book, plus I was wanting to do more non-sexual naked stuff with guys. That Venn diagram made the naked book club an obvious move – I just wasn’t sure if other guys would be into it.”
Since launching in February of 2024, the naked book club has been meeting in Hoxton each month.
“We started with Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin…” explains Gareth. “It’s a classic but also a story with plenty to talk about. Recently, we’ve been trying to focus on new releases from queer authors.”
With about 10-15 guys attending the book club discussions each month, Gareth confirms that the vibe is pretty relaxed.
“It’s not the kind of group where you have to turn up every time – everyone is leading busy lives, It’s a join-when-you-can kind of activity. It’s also not very high-brow – it’s a low-stakes chat as we share our thoughts and reactions over coffee and biscuits.”
But who are the men who want to get naked and talk about books? “I enjoy doing anything ordinary naked…” says Ian – who regularly travels from Brighton to attend the book club. “It’s great to go to the beach, but to do usual activities naked – such as gardening, country walks, playing board games, or strolling around an exhibition – it normalises nudity. What’s not to like about a naked book club?”
“I like to read and talk about books…” confirms Van, originally from the US but now living in London. “I enjoy the camaraderie and that we can have lively discussions about what we’ve read – without judgement. Nakedness enables people to really open up about what they’ve read – it encourages honest dialogue.”
“I’d only ever been to naked beaches before and this just felt like a great opportunity to be around other naked men socially…” shares Nightsky, who found the group through the NakedMates platform. “Being naked brings about a frankness and a bonding that means we speak freely and disagree freely! It’s a very liberating dynamic. I like the body language we adopt as individuals – you learn to read this as well as listen to verbal opinions.”
“The fact it is a gay book club means we can explore some great writing which celebrates gay culture – and that is the thing that we all have in common…” shares Andrew, who lives in Chelmsford. “Nakedness does more though. There is a special bond between naked people brought about by silencing the subtle language of clothes.”
“I like the experience of being naked in a non-threatening, non-sexual environment…” shares Connor. “It’s liberating, it’s relaxing, it’s fun. “As a fat man, I have experienced deep shame about my body. Being naked with other people makes me feel less self-conscious about how I look. I’m never sure why that’s the case, but I suspect that it’s the fact that when there’s nowhere to hide, you can allow yourself to stop trying to hide.”
“If I have the chance to do something naked that I enjoy clothed, I will take it…” says Crispin – a passionate reader. “To be naked in company is a leveller, especially in a non-sexual situation.”
“The book club is a vulnerable yet hugely safe space to share ideas and opinions which, in today’s world, feels like the most honest thing one can hope to achieve with a group of strangers…” says SJ, who moved to London from Singapore. “The club is unifying in how we approach and think about a book, its context, and reflect on the implications the characters or stories want to tell us.”
“It’s always interesting to hear the different responses that everyone has to the book that we’re discussing…” says Gareth. “Of all the books that we’ve read so far, the best discussions are generally the books where some people have loved it and some people have totally not enjoyed it. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong really divided opinion, as did Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst. But we also had a great conversation about A Room Above a Shop by Anthony Shapland – everyone got very emotional about the way that story was told.”
The naked book club is one of numerous events presented by the Naked Men Talking podcast.
“It could be anything from strip poker, to massage, to life drawing, or a naked dinner party…” explains Gareth. “It’s not just about getting your clothes off, we’re creating opportunities to connect with other men in a way that’s not transactional – we’re creating opportunities to feel part of something.”
Naked Men Talking is available on all podcast platforms and gtv.blue.
