Digory, Polly, and the Culture of Reading

There are so many book lovers who don’t know of any reading communities simply because the communities are quiet.

I was having a conversation with Maggie when she told me she had never been to a book reading before.

I was surprised — and not surprised.

You need to understand: Maggie is not just anybody. She’s an avid reader. Wait — do you know Maggie? Give me a second.

Maggie is one of the few people who could give me a real run for my money when it comes to reading. Back in the day, we used to compete over who read what first, and who was slacking last. I remember one of her birthdays — someone gifted her the complete collection of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. She cried. When I was gifted the same collection previously, that was my exact reaction.

We both love Lewis so much that to this day, we call each other “Digory” and “Polly.”

But Maggie isn’t just your average fiction lover. She reads theology, apologetics, church history, faith… name it. Just a few days ago, I asked, “Have you read N.T. Wright?” She replied, “Is he the New Testament theologian?” You get the vibe. She’s cerebral.

There are very few people I’d want to go on a duo road trip with — Maggie is one of them. She’s that kind of friend.

And yet — she had never attended a book reading.

Part of the reason is that book readings aren’t yet a strong part of our culture. They're still seen as elite gatherings, mostly happening in Abuja or Lagos. Of course, things are changing. Slowly, but changing. And this is just to say: we must keep going.

One challenge is that we often try to replicate book readings the Western way — top-level, stiff, academic events. That won’t work here. We need to go the Tales by Moonlight route. Make it livelier, more engaging, more culturally grounded.

Youthful & Balanced in Kaduna showed me that book readings can be vibrant and fun. The Kafanchan reading proved that you don’t need to spend hundreds of thousands on venues — natural spaces work just as well, maybe even better. There’s a coolness and intimacy that comes with reading under trees or in open air.

Second, we need to be louder.

There are so many book lovers who don’t know of any reading communities simply because the communities are quiet. Too quiet. Most bookworms are introverts, and most book communities are quietly run. We need to be loud enough to draw them out of their shelves — pun intended — and interesting enough to keep them coming. Will food help? Lols, maybe. A snack can go a long way.

But on a serious note: if we want to get more people reading, we have to make reading cultural. We must create a culture of reading — and that means book readings must become cultural events. Regular. Accessible. Alive.

Only then will someone like Maggie not just read books — but show up for them too.