Book Doof Nipaluna/Hobart
Description
Book Doof Lutruwita Tasmania is launching in Nipaluna/Hobart, in collaboration with Book Doof HQ and our Chief Book Babysitter Grant Krupp visiting from our sister City of Literature, Melbourne!
We have found the perfect venue for the first Tassie Book Doof, at the beautiful Forest on Melville Street. Spread out, get comfortable and enjoy an afternoon of reading, quiet community, and an amazing live ambient performance designed for your listening pleasure by guest artists Bing/Santospirito.
Here's how it works: bring whatever you're reading (or borrow something from our mini library), find a spot to lounge, and read in the same room as everyone else for a couple of hours. No book club discussion, no small talk required, no pressure - just the simple, slightly rebellious pleasure of reading with strangers instead of alone. There's time to chat at the end, or you can just keep reading.
Come alone, bring your housemate, your book club or your book-loving kid* - Book Doof is for everyone!
Food and beverage is BYO. We have arranged for our friends at Rude Boy, just around the corner, to open early and they will be ready to serve you takeway food and drinks to bring into The Forest.
When: Saturday 21 November, 2-5pm
Where: The Forest (University of Tasmania), 83 Melville Street, Hobart
Entry: $25 ($15 concession and Palawa/Pakana mob)
*We would love all children under 18 to be supervised by a parent or guardian, ideally 1:1 guardian to child ratio.
Lineup
Bing/Santospirito
Bing/Santospirito are Natalya Bing (violin, piano, cello, percussion) & Joshua Santospirito (piano, synths, percussion, guitar), performers, composers and artists. Natalya and Joshua live in Lutruwita (Tasmania, Australia) and create hypnotic improvised soundscapes using elements from classical improvisation combined with noise / improv / jazz music. They often collaborate with visual artists and filmmakers to create fully immersive performances which have been staged at major festivals and underground venues. They have toured Australia and recently performed two sold-out concerts of The Equinox Sound Baths at the Theatre Royal in Hobart and travelled to Queenstown for Secret Station, a project by The Unconformity. At Book Doof, they'll be bringing you music to read to - not over. Think of it as the opposite of a silent disco: instead of everyone dancing to music you can't hear, everyone's reading to music you can.
FAQs
- What is a Book Doof?
Book Doof is a rave for readers. You bring a book to a venue while gentle music plays in the background. Everyone reads together and somehow it's one of the best nights out you'll have all year.
- Do I need to bring a book?
Yes, ideally — the room reads best when everyone brings something of their own. But we always keep a small stash of loaner books and a book swap on the go, so if you rock up empty-handed you'll still leave with something to read.
- Who's behind this?
Book Doof was founded in Melbourne. What started as a slightly unhinged idea is now a series of sell-out events — including a 300+ person Reading Rave at Revolver Upstairs that raised funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
Book Doof now has Chapters in Boorloo/Perth, Canberra, and here in Lutruwita/Tasmania. Your local Chapter in Tassie is lead by the gals from The Woman Booker Prize Club.
This first Tassie Book Doof is a collaboration between Book Doof HQ (Melbourne) and your local Chapter, Lutruwita/Tasmania.
- Do I have to read the whole time?
Nope. Read, draw, write, get a drink, dance...if you can do it while respecting other people's experience, then we want you to do it with us!
- Can I talk to people?
Yes — just not over someone's shoulder mid-chapter. There are spaces for chatting and spaces for reading. The vibe polices itself surprisingly well.
- What should I bring?
A book, that's genuinely it. Though we do have books on site for you to borrow if you forget a book! E-readers and audiobooks are welcome too - we'll even have a listening lounge in a separate room at The Forest if audiobooks and bookish podcasts are more your jam!
If you'd like to eat or imbibe while at the Book Doof, feel free to BYO food to this one (we're planning some on-site catering for future events).
We've chatted to our mates at Rude Boy, just around the corner from The Forest, to make sure they'll be open early and ready to serve you delicious takeway food and drinks (yes, you can get a takeway cocktail and bring it with you!).
Rude Boy are excellent at catering to different tastes and dietary needs - just ask them.
- Is there a bar?
There's no bar on site at this round of Book Doof, but if you'd like to eat or imbibe while at the Book Doof, feel free to BYO to this one (we're planning some on-site catering for future events).
We've chatted to our mates at Rude Boy, just around the corner from The Forest, to make sure they'll be open early and ready to serve you delicious takeway food and drinks (yes, you can get a takeway cocktail and bring it with you!).
Rude Boy are excellent at catering to different tastes and dietary needs - just ask them.
- What if I don't know what to read?
Bring whatever you're mid-way through, something you've been meaning to start, or the book you always pretend you've finished. No one's checking.
We'll also have a mini library for you to browse - and the listening lounge: a separate room where you can listen to your own audiobook (BYO headphones) or enjoy the bookish podcast we'll have playing.
- What should I wear?
No dress code. Come as you are. Pyjama-adjacent comfort, full club fit, cottagecore librarian — all valid.
Feel free to BYO a blanket or extra cushions if you feel the chill or want to get extra cosy on site. - Can I bring my child?
Small humans are always welcome, so long as they are accompanied by a guardian. - Is it accessible?
Entrances: Main entry via Melville Street through a heritage-listed glass dome winter garden,.
Lifts & Multi-Floor Navigation: Equipped with six lifts servicing the building's floors.
DDA-Compliant Facilities: Features fully DDA-compliant (Disability Discrimination Act) amenities.
Sensory & Support Spaces: Student kitchen and parenting room available on site. We will keep the atrium entry space as a low sensory area if you wish to perch on a nice log and read quietly among the trees.
If you have specific accessibility needs, please get in touch with us bookdooflutruwitatasmania@gmail.com
- Can I come alone?
Please do. Half the room comes alone. Think of it as an opportunity to take yourself out on a date.
- Can I volunteer or collaborate?
We love working with artists, authors and fellow book weirdos. If you have an idea or want to collaborate on a future event, or volunteer for this event, get in touch with your local Chapter at bookdooflutruwitatasmania@gmail.com
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