Bookstagram is a flourishing corner of Instagram where bookworms can connect and share their thoughts and opinions on their favourite reads. Think ‘Oprah’s Book Club’ with a modern, digital facelift and a much wider reach – there are 55.6 millions books currently tagged #bookstagram – as well as the space for readers to connect over niche genres and styles.
Bookstagrammers post carefully crafted images of the books they’re reading or even just their bookshelf layouts alongside candid selfies on their Instagram feed. Many images will feature props or well thought-out backgrounds to add to the overall aesthetic – together, these elements create the perfect personalised space to share reviews and analyses. Bookstagrammers tend to stay true to their favourite genres and readers can find an account to suit their taste, whether that’s writers of colour, romance, crime, young adult fiction or even self-help nonfiction reads.
But Bookstagram is not only about capturing the most aesthetically pleasing image. Through their mass followings, Bookstagramers are creating a space within the social media sphere for people to share their love of reading and connect with others, creating a sense of community around a normally independent activity. Engagement and conversation is also a key part, with the most popular accounts attracting both negative and positive commentary, but above all allowing readers to interact with each other about their favourite reads.