Literary society
A literary society is a group of people interested in literature. In the modern sense, this refers to a society that wants to promote one genre of writing or a specific author. Modern literary societies typically promote research, publish newsletters, and hold meetings where findings can be presented and discussed. Some are more academic and scholarly, while others are more social groups of amateurs who appreciate a chance to discuss their favourite writer with other hobbyists.
Historically, "literary society" has also referred to salons such as those of Madame de Stael, Madame Geoffrin and Madame de Tencin in Ancien Regime France, though these could more accurately be considered literary circles or coteries. Another meaning was of college literary societies, student groups specific to the United States.
The oldest formal societies for writing and promoting poetry are the chambers of rhetoric in the Low Countries, which date back to the Middle Ages.[1]