Norn: the offline social network reviving the art of conversation

Just a stone’s throw from the hipsters of London’s Brick Lane, in a plant-filled sitting room boasting touches of Bauhaus modernism, fifteen salon attendees bond over hors d’ouvres prepared by New York-based author and chef, Alison Roman.

Along with similar gatherings in historic homes in Berlin, Barcelona, and San Francisco, this month marks the launch of a new members club and dinner series called Norn, a community far more tangible than any Facebook or WhatsApp group.

The evening’s theme for exploration is “the good life,” and ideas weave as fluidly as wine between attendees. “Is living the good life a fixed state or a process?”

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The concept of a salon began in the private mansions of 17th- and 18th-century France, with women escaping a male-dominated society and honing their skills of politesse and conversation, luring men to follow their intellectual leadership. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the Norns in mythology were female beings who ruled the destiny of gods and men; they roughly correspond to the Fates elsewhere in European mythology.

The modern revival of the salon offers a much-needed injection of real-life connection in a digital age. Other similar projects have already emerged in London, including the Quarter Club, a network for creative women, and – self-interest alert – my very own Estoria Club, an invite-only salon series for writers and storytellers.

The concept of a membership club is also a mature and established one, thanks to places like the Groucho Club and the ever-growing Soho House network. However Norn has taken the concept of community beyond traditional membership clubs and salons. As well as offering events for members passing through town, Norn also offers members the option of taking up residencies.

For $2,000 (£1,440) per month, members can stay in a number of homes in different cities, for between one and six months. In an age of cheap travel and overpriced housing, a fixed abode is no longer essential for many. Norn founder Travis Hollingsworth has lived around the world with no apartment for nearly ten years. His preoccupations have been just as fluid, having studied theology, worked on Wall Street, invested in social businesses, and moonlighted briefly as a management consultant.

Yet many people still crave the comforts, familiarity and intimate connections that we once associated with our own bricks and mortar. So Norn hopes to redefine the very idea of home, as a memorable space with a supportive group – a kind of global family.

Norn members are said to include “curious individuals with an appetite to engage with others, enrich their lives and feel at home when they are abroad.” The screening process starts with an unorthodox online application form that poses questions around the applicant’s values, as well as the last conversations they had. Next is a phone call to discuss those conversations and values.

The selection criteria is said to be based on psychographics rather than occupation or background. They look for two things: curiosity and contribution.

A cheaper local membership is also available for $500 (£360) annually, which provides access to at least one event per month in any city, including the ‘conversation menus’ that involve a sit down dinner with questions between courses, as well as the opportunity to host events across the network.

As Hollingsworth says, Norn hopes to “take small talk with strangers to another level.”

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