Buur & Boek is a pilot project centred on shared reading and writing in local communities. In neighbourhood centres, villages and other familiar places across the province of Groningen, small groups are coming together to read literature and explore creative writing, led by four experienced group leaders. Each leader brings their own approach to the group, and each group is unique. All of them focus on shared reading, listening, creating, and allowing space for what emerges from the participants. Below, the four group leaders share some of the topics emerging in the four Buur & Boek groups.
Willemijn van de Walle | Korrewegwijk
On community: “The group in Korrewegwijk reflects the city: diverse, multilingual and constantly changing. Participants vary in age and background, and bring different relationships to reading and language. Differences are present and openly discussed. Questions raised by the literature — such as where someone really comes from — often open up conversations in which multiple viewpoints exist alongside one another.”
On safe space: “Among the participants there is a willingness to go beyond the surface. When one member speaks openly, others follow. Through small, attentive gestures — sharing tea, listening without interruption — a safe space develops where personal stories can be told.”
On connection: “Meeting on Tuesday evenings, the group is a place for people to pause together. People come looking for calm and connection. Together, we use literature and poetry to help focus our attention, and to support moments of genuine encounter.”
Gemma Jissink | Noordlaren
On common interests: “Noordlaren has many overlapping networks. Buur & Boek has added another one: a group of people who connect through their common interest in stories and poems, and their curiosity and willingness to explore together.”
On engagement: “Many of the participants already know one another, but reading and discussing stories and poems creates a new kind of closeness. This closeness is valuable, and at the same time the atmosphere must also remain open and light. People feel involved in the practical aspects of the project, and also in the content, so they stay engaged.”
On shared experience: “In this group, literature is a shared experience for us. Stories and personal reflections continue to emerge and surprise all of us—including me, as the facilitator.”
Lieke van den Krommenacker | Beijum – Feerwerd
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On everyday life: “We have a small group of very committed readers who meet regularly. Ages range from early thirties to late seventies. Short stories and poetry provided the starting point for this group, but our conversations now move easily between discussing literature and everyday life.”
On sharing: “Over time, our relationships have deepened. Participants begin to share more of themselves, they exchange books, they offer reading suggestions to each other. Some of our members have started writing, which they share with the group.”
On care: “After a few meetings, you can see a sense of care emerging in the group. Through shared attention and working together, the group has developed a kind of togetherness, and it becomes more meaningful the more we read and reflect together.”.
Charlotte Beerda | Finsterwolde
On knowing each other: “Many of the participants in the Finsterwolde group have known each other for years. The group is warm, and also has a certain reserve. Personal sharing unfolds slowly, and humour is important in this group, and laughter is common.”
On vulnerability: “Vulnerability is not something we aim for in the group, but rather the point is being together and sharing. Trust is more felt than spoken in the group, it is in the atmosphere, and in all the ways they are patient, attentive and appreciative of each other.”
On the unexpected: “Unexpected moments arise: someone shares a poem, or two married people discover they have both started writing, but without the other realising it. These wonderful moments are met with caring and gradually more space opens for writing and sharing, guided by the rhythm of the group.”