Russian Literature
Russian classics free from schoolbook polish: complex motives, subtle irony, and historical context.
Tolstoy, Pavlova, Radishchev, Gogol, Erofeev
Season 2026 / 2027
A space for reading demanding texts and lively debate
We read literature stripped of schoolbook platitudes, explore ideas across differing viewpoints, and immerse ourselves in context through debates and bespoke literary games. Meeting in London and online.
Calendar of Gatherings
Upcoming Dates
Intimate format: roughly 10 participants around the table
Participation
How to Join
We get to know each participant through a brief questionnaire to curate a welcoming and considerate group.
- Roughly 10 people per circle
- Gatherings in London and online
- Mindful moderation (tea brought along at your own leisure)
- Discussion prompts and materials sent out in advance
Programme
Club Tracks
Each track has its own cadence, rules, and reading logic
Eternal Questions & Debates
Reflections on existential experience, modes of cognition, and ethical dilemmas. Intellectual duel by the rules.
existentialism, consciousness, academic debate
Serious Track
Games drawn from literary pages: reading the original source and gathering round the table to play the characters' own game.
Whist, Shtoss, Yuletide traditions & salon games
Popular Science
A bridge connecting fundamental science, the evolution of ideas, and modern curiosity.
neuroscience, history of ideas, technologies
Foreign Literature
‘Whistle-stop Europe’: from German-language inner crises through existentialism to postmodern reflection.
Hesse, Mann, Kafka, Camus, Kundera
Chronicle
Already Read & Explored
Over 30 works explored throughout the club's history
‘The Idiot’
‘Anna Karenina’
‘The Queen of Spades’
‘The Gulag Archipelago’
‘Doctor Zhivago’
‘The Doomed City’
‘The Foundation Pit’
‘The White Guard’
Principles
Club Agreements
0.
Thoughtfulness. Voicing an opinion requires vulnerability. We bear this in mind and treat one another with genuine consideration, even in heated debate.
1.
Focus and time. The host maintains the thread of discussion and steers conversation back to the text — honouring everyone's time.
2.
Flexibility. Arriving a little late or leaving early is completely fine — just let us know beforehand.
Format
How Our Gatherings Run
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Preparation: It is sufficient to read the announced text (or part of it) prior to meeting.
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Atmosphere: Equal-footing conversation without the didactic distance of teacher and pupil.
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Sober minds: We do not welcome drinks stronger than tea (feel free to bring your own tea as you like).