Literature as a Source of Happiness: KBSU Book Club Celebrates Its Second Anniversary

In November, KBSU’s Chronotope book club celebrated its second anniversary. During this time, monthly meetings of philology students have evolved into an open forum where everyone can share thoughts on their readings. We spoke with Samira Urusbieva, a fourth-year Philology student at KBSU, about launching a traditional club in the digital age and the role of literature in the lives of modern readers.

— How did the idea of ​​creating a book club come about in the age of Telegram channels, podcasts, and short formats?

— Two years ago, Marina Bitokova, a teacher of Russian and foreign literature, gathered us together and proposed creating a book club. Chronotope is a place and time in a literary text. The concept was coined by philologist and philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin. We expressed our respect for the scholar and named the club after a term from literary theory.
Quite a few associations have emerged in Nalchik over the past few years. What sets us apart is that it’s a book club for philologists. You’ll agree, it’s rare to find people who can discuss the literary process professionally.

— Why do philologists, who already study literature daily, need additional space for reading and meetings?

— We really have enough classical literature in our classes. That’s why we’ve deviated from the curriculum and are discussing contemporary literature—both foreign and Russian. We select books by online voting.
— How do the Chronotope club meetings work?

— We meet at KBSU once a month in room 201, named after the renowned philologist, philosopher, and cultural studies expert Georgy Gachev. A new moderator serves each meeting. Participants use a short discussion guide. Over the past two years, our meeting format has changed slightly, and certain quirks have become established. For example, each discussion ends with casting for a film adaptation.
— How do you begin your acquaintance with a new work?

I try to simply dive into a book. I sit down, read, and forget about everything else going on around me. When I start a new work, I live in it until the last page.

What can I find only at your meetings?

The most important thing is the emotions we experience. People often ask why I come to a meeting and listen to someone else’s opinion, sometimes completely different from my own. But it’s a great joy to unite with people with similar interests. It’s wonderful to feel a spiritual kinship with strangers who, with sparkling eyes, share their emotions about books.

Could you describe a typical book club member?

More likely, a female member. Men rarely come. Adults are joining more and more often, which is very nice for us.

How can I join Chronotope?

We have a Telegram channel, «Chronotope Book Club.» Subscribe and stay updated—before each meeting, we post a link to register. This is necessary for participants to be added to the university admission list.
— What’s the most important piece of advice about reading you learned from the club meetings?

— If you don’t want to read, don’t force yourself. Everyone creates their own path to books. I’m convinced that reading culture isn’t dying. We just need to focus on what we can do to popularize it, so that the dialogue about the role of literature can be as vocal as possible.
— If you were asked to write a manifesto for the Chronotope Club, what key literary principle would you definitely include?

— Read when, what, and how you want. Literature is pleasure and great happiness. It should never be associated with the horrors of the school curriculum. The world of books is a place of freedom, where we can feel completely protected.