Bonas Book Clubs
Developing the habits and skills that are vital for success
Bonas Book Clubs provide an enjoyable way to encourage your child to read more widely and develop the critical thinking skills that are vital for academic and career success.
Pupils meet once a month online, to analyse and debate a selected text with a Bonas MacFarlane subject specialist tutor, who will explore the concepts and themes with them. Each student also has the opportunity to present their own thoughts and ideas to their peers.
Alongside broadening your child’s knowledge of higher-level ideas and books, Bonas Book Clubs teach valuable critical thinking skills, such as speed reading, structured note-taking and how to ask the right questions.
Bonas Book Clubs are a great way to strengthen your child’s university application, personal statement and interview skills.
Students receive individual feedback from the tutor after each session.
- Book Clubs run in one-year cycles. The minimum sign-up is six months. Each book club takes place online at a designated time.
- Sessions are priced at £25 + VAT per month. For an additional cost Bonas MacFarlane can arrange for students to receive a paperback copy of each month’s book.
- Book Clubs require a minimum of four participants per course. We reserve the right not to run a book club should we not have sufficient numbers.
2026 Clubs
Initially we are launching two clubs - Global Literature and Human Stories in Science, for 16-18 year olds eager to engage with advanced level concepts and keen to develop university level independent study skills. The content is geared towards 16-18-year-olds, but we would welcome younger pupils, provided they are comfortable reading advanced texts and discussing sixth-form level concepts and themes.
"‘Bonas Book Clubs are a great way to strengthen your child’s university application, personal statement and interview skills."
Ed Ballard - Director, Higher Education
Global Literature
The Global Literature Book Club invites pupils to develop a well-travelled literary passport, journeying from the magical realism of Chile and the postcolonial voices of Nigeria to the restrained elegance of Japan and the contemporary Irish novella.
Each month, pupils engage with a major work from a different country, examining how culture, history, and language shape literary expression across continents. Through guided discussion and close reading, students will cultivate advanced comparative skills, deepen their cultural literacy, and acquire a nuanced understanding of the global conversations that define modern literature.
This course provides excellent preparation for university study in English and the humanities, as well as for pupils who simply wish to read with greater depth and confidence.
Start date: Monday 26th January, 6-7 pm
Human Stories in Science Club
The Human Stories in Science Club offers a forum for pupils who wish to understand scientific ideas through the lives of the individuals who shaped them.
Each month, pupils explore a different medium - peer-reviewed journal articles, books, documentaries and podcasts - allowing them to investigate the lives of many renowned scientists and to establish what a future within science might look like.
This programme provides valuable preparation for university study in the sciences and related disciplines; however, it is equally enriching for any pupil seeking to broaden their understanding of the modern world and engage more confidently with the histories, ideas, and people that continue to shape it.
Start date: Wednesday 28th January, 7.30-8.30 pm