Shelf Indulgence: A Cinegirl (Book) Club Event

The Cinegirl Club has been established in partnership with industry-leading motion picture equipment company Panavision to carve out a place for authentic, industry-inspired events designed to bring talent and industry together, and to provide a platform for insights and discussions from professionals across the film industry. Cinegirl Club enables members to unwind, receive industry guidance, and network to nurture genuine contacts and relationships - relationships based on mutual respect and a shared passion for the meaningful advancement of women and underrepresented voices in the film industry.

We held our third Cinegirl Club Event on the 8th of September, partnering up once again with CVP & ARRI Creative Space in Soho. Providing a home to meetings, events, training sessions, screenings and much more, the Creative Space also offers an exclusive free membership to industry professionals to utilise this magnificent central London venue for these purposes. The location granted a warm and cosy space for our Club Event with delicious canapés and drinks served.

Cinegirl loves to celebrate all art forms. There are no harsh lines between photography and painting, sculpture and architecture, film and literature – they all enrich us. Across the creative industries, movies and books also play a vital role in our education, shaping future generations and mentalities. This event was a chance for different people to come together, book in hand, and indulge in a world of new stories.

After everyone had settled in, our Editor-in-Chief Francesca Zerenghi introduced the event with inspiring words on the importance of art to kindle thoughtful dialogue and meaningful connections. She then laid out some discussion guidelines, which included “pitching” our choices to one another and then taking turns to guess the book's first line, before we broke off into smaller groups, each bubble gathering on the selection of snug chairs and sofas around the room.

A rainy, cosy London evening provided the perfect backdrop to muse over books. Conversation buzzed as people shared their choices, ranging from the happy-ending-assured romance Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman to the depraved thrill of Patrick Süskind’s literary classic Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin, which follows a love affair between two men in 1950s Paris, made clear how our favourite books often devastate as well as console us. While Haruki Murakami’s surreal rumination on love and life, Sputnik Sweetheart, initiated a discussion about his questionable writing on women in general.

Conversation flowed and intersected as people migrated around the room, seeking out new plots, authors, writing styles, genres and passionate book owners. It was a truly uplifting evening that ensured all left with the satisfied afterglow of having talked about a beloved book to a captive audience, as well as the joy of encountering unheard stories soon to be added to your own shelf.

Thank you so much to everyone who came for making this Cinegirl Club Event so special. Stay tuned for details of our next event, coming soon! Cinegirl Club is proudly sponsored by @panavisionofficial

All Photography by Nic Roques