60MBC1: Discussion time!
Everything you need to know for our first book club meet on Tuesday 28 January.
Hi everyone,
Somehow January is already almost over, and that means it’s almost time to meet for our first Sixty-Minute Book Club session, all about Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’. For a recap on why I chose this story, read the intro post.
For all the info about our virtual meet, scroll down and then make sure you log onto the subscriber chat where I’ll be sharing the Google Meet link for our call. There’s already been plenty of chat going on about the story, and particularly its creepiness.
Not yet had chance to read it? No worries— indeed, the beauty of the Sixty-Minute Book Club is that each story takes less than one hour of your time to read.
‘The Lottery’ is no different, with an average reading time of just 15-20 minutes. My cup of tea doesn’t even get cold in that time!
So take this as your sign to pick up your copy now, and join us for a Sixty-Minute Chat about it on Tuesday 28 January.
If you’re going to join us, don’t forget to let me know by replying to this email, dropping a comment, or letting me know via the Chat.
See you there!
Emma x
📆 60MBC1: ‘The Lottery’ discussion hour
When? Tuesday 28 January 2025
What time? 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT / 7pm CET
How? We’ll meet via Google Meet. For privacy reasons, I will be sharing the link in the subscriber chat only. If you have any trouble accessing, please reply to this email and I’ll send it directly to you via email. If you are not yet a subscriber, subscribe now for free to join the chat.
What to expect: A fun sixty minutes talking about the story, what we enjoyed, how it made us feel, and a few prompts. There is no pressure to speak in person but my aim is to make it a fun, convivial session, and perhaps make a few new friends out of it!
What we’ll discuss (not an exhaustive list!):
How did the story make you feel? What were the stand-out lines, characters, or passages?
How does Jackson create a feeling of normalcy in the town, and how does this add to our discomfort as the story progresses?
What do you think the story is saying about ritual and tradition? Did it make you think of any other rituals or traditions that we do ‘just because’?
This story shocked readers in 1948, and still takes readers’ breath away in 2025. Why do you think that is? What timeless fears do you think Jackson has managed to tap into in her story?
Please also feel free to bring your own questions and prompts to the chat for discussion.
And again, for the Google Meet link, don’t forget to join the chat!
See you then!
Count me in!