Done with doomscrolling, people in Melbourne are getting off their phones and into the world for novel real-life gatherings at bars turned into reading nooks, and bakeries doubling as dance floors.
It’s Tuesday night at Aster, a cocktail loft in a Chinatown laneway in central Melbourne. This early in the week, you’d expect things to be quiet, but this hush is uncanny. Samara Sequeira, 38, chimes a bell and 35 people pick up books and commence silently reading.
Some nibble charcuterie and sip drinks – there’s non-alcoholic beer and a negroni with mezcal – but noses stay in books for an hour, until the bell chimes once more. This is Reading Party, an event series by two flatmates who love reading but struggle to make it happen.
“Stop scrolling, start reading is the idea,” says Sonja Rose, 31, a policy manager who collaborates with her housemate Sequeira on the series.
“I’ve been a reader my whole life, but it dropped off. I struggle with getting my screen time down.”
Sequeira, an HR manager, also stares at screens more than she would like. “As a kid, I always had a book in my hand,” she says. “Now, I get distracted [and] fall into doomscrolling.”
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Only 14.1 per cent of Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) participate in reading on any given day, according to the ABS. That compares to 47 per cent of those born before 1945, and 30 per cent of Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1965).
‘As a kid, I always had a book in my hand. Now, I get distracted [and] fall into doomscrolling.’
Samara Sequeira, Reading Party co-founder
As well as carving out time for reading, the pair are keen to discover Melbourne venues and create social opportunities. After four monthly events for between 30 and 80 people, they are scaling up to two a month.
“We get people who do read, people who don’t read much but want to read more, and those who struggle to read but want to dedicate time to reading,” says Sequeira.
The books themselves are diverse, everything from self-help to romantasy to Sequeira’s favourite genre, which she describes as “women’s rage”.
When the hour is up, participants mingle (if they wish) with conversation cards provided: “What’s a habit you would like to build?” and “What did you want to be when you were a kid?” are examples.
“Most people come alone but it’s a comfortable, happy feeling of us all being together doing something we love,” says Sequeira. Some readers end up dining together, and exchanging phone numbers and book recommendations.
Advocacy organisation Australia Reads spruiks the benefits of reading in a 2025 report, saying “reading reduces stress, strengthens our cognitive abilities, and can even extend our lives”. Reading Party doesn’t spruik lofty aims, but its founders are clear on the positives of losing themselves in a book.
“We are bombarded by social media,” says Sequeira. “Our minds aren’t meant to handle that much information. Reading is a reprieve, a way to open ourselves to new ideas and people.”
At Bellarine Peninsula bakery Ket Baker, the volume is turned all the way up. Founder Meik Paulus taps into her longtime love of techno music by running a dance party at her Geelong store.
“It ties in with who I am,” she says. “I want the bakery to be an expression of my identity.”
The first doof in November attracted about 60 people for dance music and a gourmet sausage sizzle. The spirit was celebratory, maybe even silly.
“There is so much adversity in the world, but I don’t think we should forget we are lucky to be here,” says the Belgian-born artisan baker. “I want to do … quirky stuff with no judgement that also lowers the threshold for people to talk to each other. We are all neighbours. The boundaries we set up take away the beauty in our lives.”
‘My motivation wasn’t to make friends but I have.’
Ruth Heenan, Root’s Supper Club founder
In Elwood, Ruth Heenan is pondering the theme for the next Root’s Supper Club, the ticketed dinner party she has run at her home for the past two years. Between 12 and 19 people come to her apartment for a meticulously styled set menu, following themes such as French, Thai, Tiki and winter solstice. The next one – the 20th event – might be Greek or Japanese.
“I was bored and I needed a hobby,” says Heenan, who is a communications manager. “This includes all the things I like: researching, sourcing ingredients, cooking, bringing people together. My motivation wasn’t to make friends but I have: 70 per cent of people are return visitors.”
Heenan feels she’s offering something that guests crave. “People live more solitary lives,” she says. “The supper clubs reference house parties and extended family gatherings, those environments with lots of people and overlapping conversations.”
Heenan asks for an $89 donation, which may or may not cover the costs. “I don’t run it like a business,” she says. “I vaguely know how much I have to play with.”
Welcoming people into her home can have its drawbacks. “One time it wasn’t the vibe I wanted, but almost everyone has been incredibly respectful. I love hearing the laughter. It’s such a feel-good thing.”
Events encouraging face-to-face connection
- There’s a Paint & Pastry afternoon at the Bellarine Peninsula’s Ket Baker on February 11.
- Coburg wine bar Gemini is running a Palentine’s Day singles dinner on February 14.
- Root’s Supper Club next event is on February 28.
- Reading Party’s next event is sold out but stay tuned for events on March 4 and 18.
- Meet Up lists all kinds of food events, including vegan nights and cafe meet-ups for over 50s.
