Writers’ festivals are the new raves – and as a born-again book reader I couldn’t be happier about the upsurge in collectivism

‘What is it about book reading, traditionally a solitary pursuit, that seems to spur us to bravely navigate public transport and forgo sacred weeknights to come together and bask in the glow of a well-written tome, often alongside the author?’ Photograph: RapidEye/Getty Images

The accident took place without warning during a holiday. The culprit: an Airbnb bedside table with no power outlet. A minor inconvenience forcing a mobile phone on its last gasp of ions into another room for the night.

While lying on the bed desperately trying to stem the terrifying rise of my own thoughts, it happened: I reached over and picked up a book.