One Book at a Time; Women's Group Lagos
Mayowa Omogbenigun (@mayowa_reads), the founder of Women’s Group Lagos, speaks to Document Women about nurturing a safe community for women through books.
Could you give us a little backstory on why and how you started Women's Group Lagos?
I started Women’s Group Lagos because I think bookclubs are a great place to meet likeminded women and form friendships. At University, I started a bookclub for women of colour and I was blown away by how many women enjoyed being a part of it. I made friends and had really impactful conversations centred around literature.
Moving back home to Lagos full time, I really wanted a way to connect with other women and form friendships and my mind instantly remembered how amazing my bookclub was at University.
So in January 2020, I started Women’s Group Lagos and the rest is history. Event after event, I’m surprised by just how many women enjoy coming to Women’s Group events and how many friendships have formed as a result.
What was your motivation to start and what has been your motivation to keep going?
My motivation to start was to create a community of likeminded women where women could form friendships and engage in interesting conversation. My motivation to continue is the same! Every event motivates me because Women’s Group has become a really important community for many women and I want to continue to nurture this community.
What is a major goal you seek to achieve with the Women's Group Lagos?
My goal is to create a safe community for likeminded women in Lagos.
What are somethings or a thing that has shocked or surprised you that you didn't expect or think about when you were starting out?
I’m always surprised by the diversity of women in the Women’s Group community. Women range from 18 to their late-thirties and are teachers, lawyers, engineers, students, the list goes on. For some reason, I didn’t think Women’s Group would be of interest to so many women and it is beautiful to see.
How long has it been since you started?
I started in January 2020 so it has been 2 years and 6 months.
What are your meetings like and how often do you meet?
Women’s Group meetings are usually really intimate. We discuss books and our lives over cups of tea and coffee, in cafes, restaurants and community spaces. We meet every 6 to 8 weeks. It is important to me to give all members time to read and also be involved in other events and activities because I know how busy life gets. I don’t want women to feel that all their time is being taken up by the group.
Where can we find you and how does an interested party become a member?
You can find us on Instagram (@womensgroup_lagos). There is no formal membership process. All you have to do is register to our events which are always advertised on Instagram and show up!
What sort of books do you read? Any specifics?
We read books written by black women for our bookclub meetings but for book swaps, all books are welcome.
What have been some challenges you've encountered so far?
A major challenge is finding spaces to host events. A lot of venues want large deposits which isn’t feasible because all Women’s Groups events are free. We are really grateful to the cafes and spaces that have given us access to their facilities over the last two years.
How has hosting affected you personally, your reading habits, mentally and generally?
Hosting has definitely made me a lot more social. I’m an introvert so hosting events has taught me to express myself more and be open to speaking to new people.
What have been your favourite highlights since you started?
My highlights are definitely seeing how much fun women have at our events. it really warms my heart to see women excited to come to our events and eager to participate. I’m also always in awe of how far women travel to come to our events. Women come from all over Lagos and I am so grateful to them for that.