Episode
Changing Australia: Shay Leighton and creating the Tough Guy Book Club
- Podcast
- Radio National Breakfast
- Published
- Jun 28, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 713
- Processing state
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Summary
As a teen, a good sci-fi novel was among Shay Leighton's favourite books to read. But as he grew older and life took over; he read less, worked too much and wasn't very happy. So, he decided to start a book club, but one designed to focus on connecting men, address isolation and improve mental health. This group, the Tough Guy Book Club, first met in a pub in Melbourne in 2012 and has now become an international sensation with more than 180 chapters in Australia around the world.