Brown Girl Book Lover, in partnership with Gladys’ Books & Wine, announces Reading Beloved, Together, a three-part, in-person communal reading series devoted entirely to Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Designed as a sustained engagement with a single work, the series brings readers together over three evenings to read, discuss, and reflect on the novel collectively, allowing meaning to unfold over time rather than in isolation or haste.
At a cultural moment shaped by speed, distraction, and algorithm-driven consumption, Reading Beloved, Together offers a different model for literary engagement—one rooted in attention, care and shared inquiry, organizers said.
“This event is about connection, collaboration, and collective impact—ensuring our work remains responsive, relevant and rooted in community needs," said Leslie-Ann Murray, the founder of Brown Girl Book Lover.
Beloved is a novel that demands presence. Its language, structure, and emotional weight resist quick summaries or surface-level engagement. Reading the book in community creates space for readers to sit with its complexity, ask difficult questions, and witness how interpretation deepens when memory, history, and imagination are held collectively rather than alone, according to Murray.
Hosted at Gladys Books & Wine, an independent Black-owned bookstore and community gathering space in Bedford-Stuyvesant, the series reflects a shared commitment to sustaining Black literary culture beyond trends or anniversaries.
The event takes place between 7:00pm and 9:00pm on Jan. 26, Feb. 23 and March 30. It will include a guided discussion, shared reading and open conversation, and it is open to first-time and returning readers of the book. RSVP here.
