Amaliah Book Club | The Other Significant Others by Rhaina Cohen

"Thought-provoking . . . engaging . . . an enlightening read. This book serves as a powerful catalyst for readers to question societal norms and broaden their understanding of meaningful connections. Inspiring." - Booklist."

Join us this July for a thought-provoking evening as we discuss Rhaina Cohen's 'The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center'. The discussion will be led by Sudanese-Australian writer, engineer and award-winning social advocate, Yassmin Abdel-Magied.

We’re bringing together the Amaliah community to dive into Rhaina Cohen's debut book, 'The Other Significant Others', that offers a powerful narrative on platonic partnerships and how the thrill, intimacy, and commitment we seek is often found through meaningful friendship. Rhaina Cohen shares riveting stories of people―spanning age and religion, gender and sexuality and more―who have defied convention by choosing a friend as a life partner. These stories unsettle widespread assumptions about relationships and reveal how freeing and challenging it can be to embrace a relationship model that society doesn't recognize. Yassmin will take us through the night with prompts and questions to guide us through these topics and to understand how to make meaningful change.

Come and connect with other Muslim women in a welcoming and familiar space to share your views and ideas on this book. Whether you’re a literature buff, someone who is looking to get back into reading or just starting out on your reading journey, or if you simply want to come for the discussion, there’s always a seat for you at our table.

Location: Root/25 Cafe, 116B Bow Road, London, E3 3AA

Date: Wednesday 24th July 2024

Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm (Doors will open at 6:00pm)

Feel free to bring your book (physical or digital), a notebook and pen and most importantly, your ideas!

About the Book

Why do we assume romantic relationships are more important than friendships? What do we lose when we expect a spouse to meet all our needs? And what can we learn about commitment, love, and family from people who put deep friendship at the center of their lives?

In The Other Significant Others, NPR's Rhaina Cohen invites us into the lives of people―spanning age and religion, gender and sexuality and more―who have defied convention by choosing a friend as a life partner. And they show that orienting your world around friends isn't limited to daydreams and episodes of The Golden Girls, but actually possible in real life. Based on years of original reporting and striking social science research, Cohen argues that we undermine romantic relationships by expecting too much of them, while we diminish friendships by expecting too little of them. At a time when many Americans are spending large stretches of their lives single, widowed or divorced, or feeling the effects of the "loneliness epidemic," The Other Significant Others challenges us to ask what we want from our relationships―not just what we’re supposed to want―and transforms how we define a fulfilling life

About The Amaliah Book Club

The Amaliah Book Club has been running online since 2021. We have been collating recommendations from our community and publishing book reviews by authors on a variety of topics and genres. In 2022, the Amaliah Book Club launched in-person to a sold-out event. The Amaliah Book Club aims to create a space for Muslim women to exchange ideas, reflect our thoughts and fall in love with reading in a safe and welcoming space. We hope you’ll join us on this journey!

Disclaimer and Refund Policy

Please note that by signing up for this event, you will be added to a mailing list for communications about the event as well as upcoming events. In addition, there will be a photographer on the day capturing moments during the event to be shared across our social media platforms, so please let us know before the start of the event if you would not like to be photographed.

Refunds can only be issued if tickets are cancelled at least 5 days before the date of the event - if you cancel on the day of the event, you will not be entitled to a refund. We often have a very long waiting list for our book clubs and last-minute cancellations mean that we cannot offer a space to another sister in the community to join the event.

Host or Publisher AMALIAH