Turnhout library to host readings for adults facing loneliness

This Sunday, Turnhout library will open its reading room to adults who feel lonely. The sessions are designed to bring people together around a shared activity, followed by coffee and a chance to discuss the story.

The events are trial sessions linked to Turnhout’s Culture Market. More reading moments will follow in the autumn, including four additional sessions and activities during Reading Week. The stories themselves remain a surprise.

The initiative, called “Come and hear a story: Reading for adults,” grew from the project “The library, my home.” Thomas More and Avansa Kempen used that project to examine the library’s role as a public place. A questionnaire showed that loneliness emerged as a significant concern, said Jan Van Otten, the city alderman for libraries.

Participants will experience the activity together in the library’s “living room,” alongside others in a similar situation. Van Otten said the shared experience can create a sense of connection, while the discussion over coffee gives people a further opportunity to meet. “We really want to combat loneliness,” he said.

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We really want to combat loneliness.