Beyond the pages: How a shared passion became a way to connect
A book passed on to someone else carries with it a part of the experience of the person who read it.
This idea inspired the Ghallard Book Club, shaped by International Book Giving Day and by the passion for reading and creativity already present within our team.
The initiative has become a quarterly opportunity for colleagues to come together, exchange books and talk about the ideas, characters and questions that stayed with them after reading.
Around the table, books, tea and homemade treats create the setting for colleagues curious to discover what others have been reading. Each gathering takes its own direction, shaped by the participants’ recommendations and the conversations that grow around them.
One book, many perspectives
Every book comes with a reason why it is worth passing on.
It may be a story that stayed with its reader long after the final page, an idea that offered a new perspective, or a subject worth exploring further through conversation.
Over time, our recommendations have taken us through Japanese culture, stories inspired by real-life events and moments in history that sparked our colleagues’ curiosity. One title opened a conversation about another culture, a true story raised new questions, and a historical event created connections with the present.
The diversity of our reading choices naturally reflects the diversity of perspectives within our team.
“I like that every colleague brings a book they have chosen for a personal reason and, along with it, a different perspective. Through this club, I have rediscovered both inspiration and motivation to read, as well as the curiosity to explore books I might not usually have chosen. We discover new titles, ideas and different ways of looking at things, and very often the conversations and impressions we share stay with me just as much as the recommendation itself.”
Loredana, Public Procurement Expert
In this way, the club creates a space where reading becomes a shared experience. Colleagues go home with a new book, recommendations for the months ahead and ideas to carry forward.
A place for our colleagues’ passions
The Book Club has also created a natural setting for another passion closely connected to the world of reading.
Georgiana creates handmade book covers in a variety of styles and colours. Her passion grew from the desire to protect books while reading and to offer readers greater privacy when enjoying a book in public spaces.
During our gatherings, colleagues can discover her creations, learn more about how they are made and get to know a personal passion that has found its place naturally within the Ghallard community
“I started making book covers because I wanted to protect my books and be able to read anywhere with more privacy. I’m happy that the Book Club gives me the opportunity to share this passion with my colleagues and to see how each person chooses a design that reflects their personality.”
Georgiana, Accountant
Her presence within the club shows how an internal initiative can also create space for the talents, hobbies and ideas that colleagues pursue beyond their professional roles.
In the same spirit, every participant contributes to the atmosphere of each gathering through a recommendation, a perspective, a question or a personal gesture. Sometimes that contribution is a book. Other times, it is a story or something homemade brought to share with colleagues.
A community built around the things we enjoy
The Ghallard Book Club grows through the colleagues who return with new recommendations and through the energy of those joining for the first time.
Some come looking for their next read. Others choose to pass on a book that has meant something to them. Many discover shared interests with people they usually know through projects and professional responsibilities.
This is where the value of the initiative lies: in the space it creates for dialogue, curiosity and connection.
At Ghallard, our culture also takes shape through moments like these — through ideas that are given room to grow, passions that become visible across the team, and colleagues who choose to share what inspires them.
The Book Club began with the joy of giving a book and continues through the people who, gathering after gathering, give it meaning and personality.
Each time, colleagues leave with a new book, a different perspective and another reason to look forward to the next gathering.
