Today we’d like to introduce you to Nytalia Udetallah Kiraney Loving.
Hi Nytalia Udetallah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
The idea for Thought Daughter Book Club came from our joint love of books and a good theme. As besties, we’ve un-offically had a two-person book club for years now, but earlier this year we had the idea to branch out and make things official. Our first idea was just a book club that would tandem-read fiction and non-fiction books. Almost immediately, though, we thought it could be something bigger and better. If we’re already coming up with a book pairing, why not anchor it to a theme? And if we have a theme for the books, why not tailor our book club meetings to that theme? Thus, Thought Daughter Book Club was born.
As typical Capricorns and Libras do, we jumped into action. The first thing we did was make our Instagram page, which meant we *had* to do it. From there, it was just a matter of what our first books would be and how we wanted to share our little club with the world!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s actually been super smooth fortunately! We think that really speaks to the desire the community has for a club like TDBC. There are so many active book + social clubs in the city, but we pride ourselves on curating a full vibe with every quarter and being intentional with our merch and events! We’ve also got some incredible friends and family who have been our sounding boards, event photographers, graphic designers, and AV support!
We’ve been impressed with Thought Daughter Book Club, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Thought Daughter Book Club operates on vibes. Each quarter, we select two books, a fiction and non-fiction pick, centered around a common theme. From there, we tailor every experience that quarter to the theme in order to create an immersive and aesthetic experience. Our first theme was Cults, for which we read Cultish by Amanda Montell and Bunny by Mona Awad. We held our first meeting at Loflin Yard, handed out our cult pamphlets (book discussion questions), dressed in all-white (what’s a good cult without a dress code?), and collectively drank the Kool-Aid (a red cocktail that absolutely did not include poison). It’s hard to say what our proudest moment is just yet, but it would probably be that first meeting. We had no idea how many people would show up, but we were ready for our cult (book club) meeting regardless. We put a lot of thought into every detail, and it was so exciting to see people come and have fun. For TDBC, the books serve as a vessel for community building and ambient events. Yes, read the books, but more importantly, come have fun and connect with fellow Thought Daughters!
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Technically, *we’re* just starting out! We’re moving into our third quarter of TDBC and we’re continuing to learn along the way. That being said, the biggest advice we have is two-fold:
1. Have a clear vision and trust it! We’ll have brainstorming sessions often about what we want our next theme or event or post to be, and sometimes we’ll say to ourselves, “Is this doing too much? Are we doing too much?” But then we remind ourselves that we didn’t set out to be an average book club, squash that thought, and think even bigger!
2. Keep community at the forefront. It’s clear that Memphians are yearning for community and connection, and to be able to create a space that excites people and makes them feel seen is super special.
Contact Info:
- Email: bookclub@thoughtdaughterhq.com
- Instagram: @thought.daughters.bc
- TikTok: @thoughtdaughterbookclub
