The Existential Book Club (Six sessions)
An exploratory group for exploring existential themes through literature.
Ā£300.00
Overview
š¤ 8 participants
š 18 and over
ā Closed group
š In person ā Camden, London
š Monthly for 6 sessions
ā 120-minute sessions
š One flight of stairs to access the space
Ā£ Six sessions at Ā£300 (Ā£50 per session)
About
The Existential Book Club is a therapist-led, semi-structured book club for up to eight participants, meeting once a month to explore existential themes through literature.
Across six sessions, we will explore a carefully selected collection of novels and philosophical works, using each book as a starting point for considering some of the fundamental questions of human existence.
From love and loss to freedom, mortality, meaning, identity and the search for authenticity, each book offers a different perspective on what it means to be human.
The group is not about finding the ārightā interpretation. Instead, it offers a space to read deeply, exchange perspectives and think together about the questions that literature leaves us with.
Session 1 ā Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
Exploring love, loss, grief, loneliness and the complexities of human connection. We will consider how relationships can give life meaning while also exposing us to vulnerability, suffering and the inevitability of loss.
Session 2 ā Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Exploring freedom, individuality, conformity and the pursuit of happiness. What happens when suffering is removed from life? Can we be truly free without the freedom to choose differently?
Session 3 ā The Stranger by Albert Camus
Exploring absurdity, alienation, meaning and mortality through Camus' portrayal of a world that does not necessarily provide the answers we seek. What might it mean to live in the face of an indifferent universe?
Session 4 ā The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
Exploring mortality, authenticity, regret and the question of what makes a life well lived. How might confronting death change our understanding of how we have chosen to live?
Session 5 ā On the Shortness of Life by Seneca
Exploring time, mortality and the art of living. What does it mean to have enough time? Are our lives actually too short, or do we give too much of our time away?
Session 6 ā Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre
Exploring existence, freedom, contingency and the search for meaning. What happens when the familiar structures through which we understand our lives begin to lose their certainty?
This is not a therapy group and is not a substitute for individual therapy or crisis care.
Participants must be 18 or older and able to commit to all allocated sessions.
The group is not intended for participants seeking support with specific or ongoing personal difficulties.
The group is not suitable for anyone experiencing an active psychological crisis or distress that requires immediate one-to-one support.
By booking, you confirm that you meet these requirements and understand the nature of the group.
If you would like to explore individual concerns in greater depth, please book a free consultation for 1:1 therapy.
