How it works
Five steps, ten minutes of your time
- Message the venue. Send the short ask script to a library or café and request a quiet slot and a table for up to 8 people.
- Fix the format. Choose a start time: 10 minutes to arrive, 60 minutes of silent reading, then about 20 minutes of optional chat.
- Print the sign and table cards. Edit the time on screen, print the A4 sign and the table cards from this page, and bring tape.
- Post the invitation. Share the announcement text on a noticeboard, a local group or a free Come Alone invite, with a maximum number of seats.
- Host the hour. Welcome people, explain the silence in one minute, keep time, and run the three-question closing circle.
Then take it further: create a free invite on party.comealone.app, and use Meet & Mint to see who is going and meet at the door. See also the library programs list to find a friendly library near you.
1 · Venue
Ask a library or café in one message
Copy, replace the [brackets], send. Libraries often have a community or events contact; cafés usually answer fastest at a quiet time of day or by message.
I would like to run a free, quiet reading hour for adults at your [library / café] on [day] from [19:00] to [20:30]. Everyone brings their own book and reads silently for an hour; afterwards there is an optional 20-minute chat. It is a small table for up to [8] people. No speaker, no music, no sound equipment.
Could you tell me: (1) whether a quiet table or room is free in that slot, (2) whether a group needs a booking or has a limit, (3) whether people can read without buying anything, or what you would like them to order, (4) whether I may put up a small A4 sign for the evening, and (5) the name of the person I should confirm with?
I will arrive 15 minutes early, set up and tidy up, and keep the group considerate of your other guests. Thank you,
[first name]
Why a library says yes
A silent group uses the room the way the library already likes it used, costs nothing, and brings in readers. Offer to use the library's own rules and sign-in if it has them.
Why a café says yes
An off-peak slot fills with people who order before the silence starts. Offer an order-first rule and a table of 4 to 8, not the whole room.
Get it in writing
A message reply is enough: date, time, space, maximum number, and who to contact on the day.
2 · Format
Arrive, 60 minutes silent, 20 minutes of chat
Welcome script (one minute)
Closing circle: three questions
- What are you reading, in one sentence?
- Read us one line you liked (or pass).
- What would make you come back next time?
Anyone can pass on any question. Finish by saying when the next hour is.
3 · Post
What to post and where
Bring any book (paper, e-reader or audiobook with headphones). We read in silence for 60 minutes, then chat for about 20 if you feel like it. Come alone: that is the idea. Up to [8] seats; reply or tap "I'm in" so I can tell the venue. Phones on silent. Everyone is welcome. Please order your drink before 19:10.
- On the library or café noticeboard, with the printed sign.
- As a free invite on party.comealone.app with a seat limit.
- In local reading, expat or neighbourhood groups that allow event posts.
- Include the venue address, the exact times, the maximum, and "come alone". Do not post your phone number or home address.
4 · Print
A4 sign and table cards
Click any text below to edit the time, venue and your first name, then print. The print view contains only the sign and the cards.
Shh... a reading hour
60 minutes silent, about 20 minutes of optional chat
- Bring any book: paper, e-reader or audiobook with headphones
- Phones on silent, face down
- Come alone, sit anywhere, leave any time
[Venue name] · Host: [first name] · Everyone is welcome
Table cards (6 per page, cut along the lines)
5 · Safety and inclusion
A calm room for everyone
Meet in public
Hold it in a library or café with staff nearby and a public address. Share the venue in the post. Give your first name only; never your home address.
Tell someone
Tell a friend where you will be and when you expect to finish. Joiners can do the same.
No pressure
Nobody has to talk, share contact details, buy extras or stay to the end. Passing is always fine, and reading is the only task.
Any book, any format
Paper, e-reader, large print, braille, or an audiobook on headphones. Never judge what someone reads, as long as it is suitable for the room.
Access
Ask the venue about step-free entry, seating, lighting and toilets, and put the answer in your post. Choose a table away from music and queues.
Adults, boundaries and respect
Meet & Mint is for adults (18+). Be clear in your post if the venue allows children. Be welcoming to every kind of reader, and ask anyone who is harassing, photographing others without consent or ignoring the host to stop or leave. Ask venue staff for help if needed.
This kit is general guidance for a quiet social event; follow the venue's own rules and local law.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to set up a silent reading hour?
About ten minutes of your own time: one message to a library or café, one invite or post, and a printed sign. The hour itself is 60 minutes of silent reading and about 20 minutes of optional chat.
Do I need to ask the venue first?
Yes. Cafés and libraries have their own rules on groups, noise and bookings, even for a quiet event. Use the script on this page, ask for a quiet slot and a table, and get a yes in writing (a message is enough).
How many people should I expect?
Plan for a small table of 4 to 10 readers. Silent reading is easy to join alone, so a few people may not reply and still turn up. Agree a maximum with the venue and say it in your post.
What if someone talks during the reading hour?
Point at the table card or the sign and say once, quietly, that this is the silent hour and that chat starts at the end. If it continues, offer to move to the chat time. The host decides, and may ask someone to leave.
Can people read on a tablet, e-reader or audiobook?
Yes. Any format that is quiet for the room works: paper books, e-readers, large print, braille, or an audiobook on headphones at a level others cannot hear. Please keep phones on silent and face down.
Is it safe to host or join as a stranger?
Meet in a public place with staff nearby, share the time and venue publicly, give only your first name, and tell a friend where you will be. Nobody is obliged to stay, give contact details or take part in the chat.
Is the kit really free to print and reuse?
Yes. Print the sign and cards at home, in a library or at a copy shop, edit the time and venue on screen first, and share this page with other hosts. Come Alone does not collect names or take bookings.
Free to print and share. More: Book clubs and reading nights · Library programs · 10 phrases for tonight
Meet & Mint
See who's going, then go together
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