The book club 'taking the shame out of smut'

When Analise Taylor launched a book club called The Smut Society, the name made clear exactly what joiners could expect.

Analise, who works in retail, said: "If you've got a book club coming straight at you with that name, you know there's no shame there."

A year on from its first meeting in Boston, Lincolnshire, the 21-year-old says her club's success has proved there is a growing appetite for romance fiction and for the communities being built around it.

What began as a gathering of strangers who enjoy erotic fiction has expanded beyond its original home town, with branches now meeting in King's Lynn, Norfolk, and Lincoln.

She added: "You don't have to hold back what you're reading, you don't have to hold back what you enjoy reading, you can just enjoy it."

The club's reading list spans traditional romance novels, as well as romantasy and dark romance titles.

Romantasy, a blend of fantasy and romance, has become one of publishing's biggest recent success stories, with readers devouring stories featuring dragons, vampires and magic alongside central love stories.

Revenue from romance novels increased from £29m in 2019 to £69m in 2024.

For Analise, part of the attraction lies in the escapism.

"My day-to-day is quite mundane. I do the same thing most days.

"So being able to sort of step in someone else's shoes and in a way live life through them, in your own little world, I really enjoy."

Dark romance, meanwhile, often tackles more difficult themes, including stalking, kidnap and abuse.

Discussing the appeal of some of those books, Analise says: "I know there's a lot more books that go down the kink route, and the different dynamics of relationships route, and I think that has quite a positive impact.

"It allows our generation to understand that it is OK to like different things and in some ways, explore yourself more."

In an era when many friendships are maintained through screens, the gatherings offer something increasingly difficult to find: a room full of strangers with an instant connection.

"Meeting new people for the first time in a general social setting can be quite daunting, because you don't know what you've got in common, you don't know what to talk about.

"Having that shared interest and one person has read this book, I've read this book too, etc. It just starts that little bit of conversation and then it flows from there."

Analise says that is particularly important for younger women navigating major life changes, from moving away from home to starting a new job or becoming a parent.

"Mental health is a big thing at the moment and as much as you can create connections online, I think that in-person relationships are really important," she says.

"We've got some girls in the book club that are new mums that struggle to get out, and we've got some that just struggle with getting out of the house with anxiety."

She says the welcoming atmosphere has helped members grow in confidence.

"Once they're there, they realise 'OK I can do it and it's not as scary as I thought it would be' and because it's such a welcoming place, they come back time after time," she added.

Following on from the success of the book club, The Smut Society is now holding social events, including pottery painting, meditation circles and yoga workshops.

For a club built around novels often described as escapist, its biggest impact may be happening away from the page.

What started as a love of romance fiction has become something else entirely: a place where readers can find friendship, confidence and a sense of belonging with no shame attached.

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