Book crawls: Is the pub crawl dead? Why Australians are willing to pay $120 for this new alternative

The pub crawl is dead. Long live the new alternative; the book crawl.

Pub crawls have been on the decline for a while as the result of cost of living pressures, changing social habits and shifting attitudes towards alcohol consumption.

One in five young Australians reported they drink ‘infrequently’ in the National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022–2023, compared to just over 13 per cent in 2001.

The proportion of young people who never consumed a full glass of alcohol also more than doubled, jumping from 7.5 per cent in 2001 to 16.3 per cent in 2022-23.

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Instead of socialising at the pub or bar, young Aussies are increasingly seeking booze-free (or booze-optional) ways to connect with friends old and new.

Enter the book crawl.

Sydney locals Eliza and Annabel hosted their inaugural ‘Bound to Roam’ book crawl on April 26 and it sold out months in advance, despite the $120 price tag.

“Even in a cost of living crisis, people still crave joy, meaning, and a sense of escape,” Eliza told 9honey.

Book-based social events have been cropping up around the country recently, from the Celestial Events book ball in Melbourne in November, to Sydney meetups hosted by To Be Read Book Club.

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The Bound to Roam event promised attendees visits to four Sydney bookstores, a meet and greet with a local author, a picnic lunch, wine tasting and more – and they turned up in droves.

“A large majority of women came solo, looking for connections in the community,” Annabel told 9honey.

“It was a spectrum of ages, interests, and backgrounds […] often they don’t have friends with the same passion and were excited to try something different with like-minded women.”

Eliza said many attendees – some of whom travelled from as far as Canberra, Bathurst, and the Hunter Valley – were drawn in by the promise of making “book besties” in a safe, friendly environment.

It should come as no surprise, given the current statistics around loneliness in Australia.

As of 2022, one in six Australian women aged 15 to 24 were experiencing loneliness according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

Loneliness is also associated with poor mental health, something Australian women are dealing with in increasing numbers.

Almost a third of women aged 15 to 34 years were diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety in 2021, per The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey from the University of Melbourne, an increase on figures from previous years.

“They are genuinely looking for friendship above everything else,” Eliza said of the women (and one man) who attended the event.

A book crawl also offers participants the chance to make new friends and socialise away from work or school, and without the focus on alcohol that comes with a pub crawl.

While the Bound to Roam event did include a wine tasting between bookstores, it was only a small part of the day and non-alcoholic options were readily available.

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Australians have also shown a growing desire for ‘third places’, which American Sociologist Ray Oldenburg defined as a neutral space where conversation is a main activity and socioeconomic status doesn’t matter.

Pubs and bars don’t count because patrons are expected to buy something; libraries and bookstores are another story (provided there’s no pressure to buy at the latter).

These ’third places’ provide an escape from the home and work or school environment, the two places that dominate most Australians’ lives, and are especially valuable in a housing crisis that has millions stuck in less than ideal living situations.

The fact many book events are almost exclusively attended by women is another major drawing point for many women who feel safer in all-female environments – just look at the boom in female run clubs recently.

For those who prefer reading over running, a book crawl is the perfect alternative.

“In a world that often feels overwhelming, small luxuries like a gorgeous book or a bookish event […] aren’t frivolous, they’re acts of self-care,” Eliza said.

“And this is only just the beginning.”

About 30 people attended the Bound to Roam book crawl on April 26 and more have already expressed interest in the next one slated for June 28.

Eliza and Annabel are even running a book retreat in the Blue Mountains this weekend, which also sold out months in advance.

Annabel said that despite the ongoing cost of living crisis, young Australians are happy to spend a few hundred dollars on positive community experiences like theirs.

“We can’t afford holidays, buying a home, a new car, even studying or changing careers [and] buying a book or joining an event isn’t going to change that.”

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