Pride and no prejudice: how Tough Guy Book Club taught 10,000 men to be unashamed of reading

When founder Shay Leighton put fliers in tattoo parlours, barbers and boxing gyms in Australia, men quickly responded – then it went global. But why do some feel such baggage about books? “When did we decide that men and reading and toughness all had to be separate things?” Shay

When founder Shay Leighton put fliers in tattoo parlours, barbers and boxing gyms in Australia, men quickly responded – then it went global. But why do some feel such baggage about books? “When did we decide that men and reading and toughness all had to be separate things?” Shay Leighton asks over a pint of Melbourne Black in his local Brunswick pub.

“I don’t know about you, but I didn’t get a vote.” For 14 years, Leighton has run the Tough Guy Book Club, a not-for-profit charity dedicated to encouraging men to read – although he’s quick to stress that they do more than just that. “We’re not a reading club, we’re a talking club,” he says. “The three goals of book club are: read more, talk more, have more friends.” Continue reading...