de
de

BDSM Reading Group

Inara Vesper
29.01.2026

Kurz gesagt

We are hosting a monthly BDSM reading group in English, discussing BDSM classics and relevant contemporary literature. Our first dates will be February 10th, March 10th, and April 14th 2026 from 20:00 until 22:00. Further dates to be announced.

Our BDSM Reading Group is open to both professionals and non-professional BDSM players who want to learn about BDSM practice through its history, theory and politics. For our first three sessions, we will be starting with the book Coming to Power: Writings and Graphics on Lesbian S/M by the San Francisco-based lesbian feminist BDSM organization Samois, the founding work of the lesbian BDSM movement. Published in 1981, Coming to Power is a compilation of essays including personal S/M stories, political commentary, S/M education and leather scene history.

The group will be hosted on the following days at BDSM Studio LUX (Tempelhofer Damm 145) from 20:00 until 22:00.

  • February 10th, 2026: Introduction, essays TBD
  • March 10th, 2026: TBD
  • April 14th, 2026: TBD

Each week, we will discuss the assigned readings in an informal, self-moderated form with some guided questions. While we encourage completing the readings beforehand, you may still participate if you haven't read everything. There is a recommended donation of 5-10€ per meeting for the space.

All genders and roles are welcome. To register for the group, send an email to inaravesper@proton.me and introduce yourself. Please include why you are interested in joining the group and what reading topics most interest you.

Note: As Coming to Power is currently out of print, you will receive a digital pdf upon registering for the group.

Samois Coming to Power book cover with a Leatherdyke wearing a handkerchief in the back pocket of jeans

Häufige Fragen

What is Samois?

Named in reference to Pauline Reage's Story of O, Samois was a lesbian-feminist BDSM organization based in San Francisco from the late 1970s until the mid 1980s.

What are some BDSM educational books?

Some popular educational books on BDSM include The Topping and Bottoming Books by Janet Hardy and Dossie Easton, SM 101: A realistic introduction by Jay Wiseman, and Playing Well With Others by Lee Harrington and Mollena Williams

What is BDSM?

BDSM is an acronym for bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sado-masochism, which is used to refer to the consensual practice of these activities and the subculture surrounding them.

What is S/M?

S/M refers to sadomasochism, and as described in Coming to Power by Samois, involves the consensual use of giving and receiving pain for sexual pleasure and empowerment.

What is a reading group?

A reading group is a small group of people who come together to discuss a book or essay, usually on a regular basis