How to set up and run a Bad Bugs Bookclub group

The Bad Bugs Bookclub is a public engagement initiative that enables scientists (microbiologists) and non-scientists to discuss the role of infectious disease and microorganisms in novels of fiction. The bookclub began in 2009, but since 2020, the meetings have taken place online, enabling international membership and occasional author participation. The bookclub has been shown, through peer-reviewed publications, to have impact and value to its members. For each book (the number now exceeds 100), a reading guide (questions to provoke discussion) and a meeting report (narrative of the discussion) were produced. Previously hosted on a website, the reading guides from this rich archive and resource are now presented alongside this paper, which provides tips on how to run a similar reading group.