A MONTHLY ENGLISH BOOK CLUB
Read the book. Bring the conversation.
PennyU is a monthly English book club in Wrocław, hosted by writer Christian A. Dumais.
One book. One room. One conversation worth having.
HOW IT WORKS
One book a month. No homework, just opinions.
Read
Each month, I’ll pick a book and announce it. Expect mostly fiction, new releases, and books you’ve been meaning to get to.
Meet
We’ll meet at Otwarta 12, a historic typographic print shop, on the first [TBD] of every month. Coffee and snacks will be available.
Talk
No lectures, no quizzes. Just good conversation in English with readers from everywhere. You don’t need to be a native speaker, only curious.
WHAT IS PENNYU?
A penny for your thoughts. Literally.
In 17th-century Britain, coffeehouses became known as Penny Universities. Artists, authors, and intellectuals from all social backgrounds gathered there to debate ideas, exchange knowledge, and tell stories. For the price of a penny (the cost of a coffee), anyone could pull up a chair and engage in scholarly discourse, regardless of their background or income.
This is the spirit that PennyU strives for.
PENNYU SO FAR
It's been many things. It's always been about stories.
PennyU Open Mics
PennyU started as a monthly spoken-word night in Wrocław, where anyone with a story could take the stage. It could be true or invented, funny, or heartbreaking. The only rule was that it had to be yours. More coming in 2027.
PennyU’s Read Alive
A live reading event where local writers shared their best original horror fiction. The first edition was a night of scary stories at Otwarta 12. Readers included Derrek Carriveau, Simon Neil, and Christian A. Dumais.
The PennyU Newsletter
An open mic in your inbox (coffee not included). Each issue featured one writer or artist from somewhere in the world and connected them with readers ready to give them a chance.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The English book club is the next step.
PennyU started as a place for the people who create stories. The book club is for the people who love them. But in practice, those two groups have never been as separate as they sound. Writers are readers first, and readers are often writers in waiting.
PennyU has always known that. The book club just makes it official.
Pull up a chair.
Join the PennyU book club mailing list to find out which book is next and when the next meeting is. No spamming, promise.