Oslo BookCrossing meetups

One of the great things about BookCrossing is that it gives you the chance to meet other book lovers, people who share your interest in reading and sharing books. Partly online on the forums on BookCrossing.com, and partly in real life at the meetups that take place regularly in many cities and towns around the world. In Oslo we've been having a monthly meetup for almost two years now. The turnout varies, we've been as few as two (that was only once though! :-) and as many as … I want to say about a dozen? However many show up though we always have a good time. It's a great way to meet new people and to be inspired in your BookCrossing. You can get books, give books, talk about books, recommend books … :-) Personally, I've never read such a wide range of literature as I've been reading since becoming an active BookCrosser. And that’s first and foremost thanks to all the friendly readers I've met, who have shared books and book tips with me. :-)

If you're interested in finding a local BookCrossing meetup where you live, try looking for one in the forums, either in the Bulletin Board or in the Conventions and Meetings forum. If you can't find one in your area, try starting one yourself! Ask in the forums to find other local BCers who are interested in meetup activity. That's how the group here in Oslo got together. :-)

This month's Oslo meetup is today, so that seemed like a great reason to finally be posting something on this topic. I've got pictures and everything. Obviously not from today's meetup, but from the October one, where I took some pictures (which I normally don't, at meetup I mean :-) because we had international visitors – a Swedish BookCrosser was in town visiting her daughter, who lives here, and of course she couldn't miss the chance to attend a Norwegian meetup! :-D lunacia and I went to Sweden in January this year to be part of that month's meetup in Gothenburg – a good time was had by all. :-)

For the past … I want to say year and a half … the Oslo meetups have been held in a café located very centrally downtown, right by the National Theater train and subway station. These pictures were taken there. We had an Official BookCrossing Zone set up there, a little shelf of BC books for people to take with them, and of course lots of books were released there too. Alas, no more. :-( Last month the place suddenly, pretty much without warning, closed down – the chain it belonged to has been purchased by a Swedish chain of cafés, and these new people have ripped out and thrown away everything, including our bookshelf and all the books in it. :-( V. sad news. They got no info about the shelf from the previous occupants and, being obviously not too clever, were not able to figure out what was up with this thing from any of the info posted on the shelf. I'd made a poster and everything. :-( Sad. But that's life, I guess. The new people are not willing to have a bookshelf of any kind on the premises, so I guess that after today, we'll be looking for a new place to meet. It really is very sad because this place was/is just pretty much perfect, location-wise. But if they don't want us there, there’s nothing we can do.

But we'll always have the memories. :-) We'll find a new place, the meetups will continue, and everyone's welcome. :-) Here’s the October 2008 meetup, in living color!

Around the table left to right: moaelin, moaelin’s daughter (hidden), Pierre42, sota48, Tanumine (also known as my best friend C. :-), Jannike (hidden), lunacia.

Attendees, around the table left to right: lunacia, moaelin, moaelin’s daughter, Pierre42, Tanumine (hidden), Jannike.

Our guests: moaelin with daughter. :-)

I am for obvious reasons not in any of the pictures, but if you want to take a look at my virtual bookshelf, go here.

The café, as it used to look.

The Zone. Alas. :-(