While we weren’t aware of it when we chose the date months ago, our last Reading Room event had some unexpected competition: a partial solar eclipse visible across Germany that evening. Nevertheless, the reading garden of the iconic and much-loved Hansabibliothek by Werner Düttmann filled with fellow readers quite quickly. And thanks to the perfect summer weather, we were able to gather there to read, chat, and enjoy the evening together.
For this edition of Reading Room, we had decided to skip the music. And as much as we love our curated music sets, it turned out that there was also something really special about experiencing the collective silence: everyone was absorbed in their books, and at least to me, it felt like a shared sense of quiet and focus, with the garden around us and the sounds of the city in the background adding to the atmosphere.
As the hour of silent reading slowly came to an end, the first tentative conversations started. I always appreciate this part of our events just as much as the quietness before. There’s room for everyone, and I like that all of these things can happen at the same time: while some people began chatting and sharing what they had brought to read, others kept reading, and some headed home, having come mainly for the experience of reading silently alongside others.
Once again, there were plenty of familiar faces, but also so many new ones. We love that every Reading Room event feels a little different, not only because of the location and, usually, the music, but also because of the people who join us. They are a big part of what makes each event feel different, and a key reason why we keep coming back to do this.
A big thank you to everyone who joined us and made the evening so special, to Stefanie and the whole Hansabibliothek team for welcoming us, and to Madeleine Palm for once again capturing it so beautifully.
– Teresa
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