Love story: literary speed dating in an age of declining readership

On a barge named Nanna moored on the Seine, in the shadow of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Fabrice Rousselot is waiting for the 50 literature lovers who have bought tickets for tonight's event. 

The barge is home to a library of 5,000 second-hand books which can be borrowed or read on board – with a cocktail from the bar. 

Rousselot's event is a cross between speed dating and a book club, at which the attendees discuss what they're currently reading in order to get to know each other. 

"We've set up loads of little tables here so people can get together in small groups. There are high tables, low tables, there are sofas, little cushions..." says Rousselot. 

Everyone has brought a book, with every genre from comic books to Molière represented. 

"I brought Letter from an Unknown Woman by Stefan Zweig," one participant says.

Another has brought Silicon Valley, by Alain Damasio, "which touches on some current issues such as AI, new technology and all that", they explain. 

Happy are the Happy, a collection of short stories by Yasmina Reza, is also on the table, while one man – who says he is "currently reflecting on the state of the world" – brought 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari.

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A literary encounter

Elisabeth is sitting in front of piles of books by Molière. She's come hoping to meet someone who shares her passion for literature.

"I've come largely to talk about that, but also very much to meet someone because I'm a bit lonely. It's a right bore being on your own. It's better than being with someone you don't get on with but if I meet someone I do get on with, that's great."

Sophia, aged 48, says discussing literature is a way to broaden her mind, as well as possibly to meet someone special. 

"You'll read it one way, I'll read it another, that lady will read it yet another way and we'll all have a different perspective. And you'll teach me, through your reading, to understand what I haven't understood. To feel what I haven't felt. And that's very interesting."

A gong sounds and the dating begins.
"So we'll set a timer for about 10 minutes, and after 10 minutes we'll ring the gong so that people can mingle and chat with others," explains Hugo, another of the event's organisers. 

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Bonding over books

A ticket for the evening costs €20, including a cocktail. With drinks in hand, guests chat in groups or one on one.

Sophia is deep in conversation with a man she just met about her country of origin and its literature. 

"The funny thing is, we're both Moroccan. He reads books about Morocco, which I'm familiar with because I've read them too. It's funny to find common ground in the literature the other person knows," she says. 

Her conversation partner adds: "I know a bit more [now] about the lady's literary world and also a bit about her life."

For Marie, sitting at the next table, books can offer insight into the inner workings of the opposite sex – always handy when dating. 

"A book is a bit like an encounter," she says. "You encounter worlds and countries you don't know. You step into other people's minds. As a woman, you can step into a man's mind, and vice versa."

Rousselot believes that, despite being a solitary pursuit, reading can bring people together.

"Literature can offer escapism, romance, a connection with others and a different way of seeing things. It is a social bond. It can be a romantic bond, or a bond forged through meeting someone. When we talk about books, we learn far more about each other than when we talk about anything else."

This article has been adapted from the original version in French by Anna-May Lohfeld.