Our Rebel Book Club Hall of Fame puts the spotlight on our global community of curious minds, to showcase their unique personalities, wild breadth of talents and passions, whilst digging into their connection with nonfiction.
Introducing Albert Kurniadi, Founder of Unseen Tours
Albert Kurniadi is one of our original members, having joined a whopping 5.5 years ago! 50 books in and still going strong, Albert has been a key character at London meetups and a big support to the team.
Albert’s known for his nomadic ways + inspiring projects. He runs a fantastic social enterprise called Unseen Tours in London and he’d love you to get involved.
Albert got into reading as a kid, having moved from Indonesia to Australia; turning to books to learn English. Hit him up for tips on turning insights into action!
Albert's Nonfiction Recommendations
- Into The Wild by John Krakauer
- Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
- Sapiens: A brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.
Time to get up close and personal…
1. How did you end up here?
To be completely honest, I can’t remember. I joined a month after I arrived in London, so I must’ve come across the club on the internet whilst searching for clubs and social groups to join in London. That or by word of mouth.
2. What makes you pick up a book?
I’m a sucker for an eye catching cover, a compelling blurb and notable reviews.
3. Does it come naturally to you?
Thankfully yes. I moved to Australia from Indonesia as a kid without knowing English, so I learnt the language and a whole lot other topics by doing a lot of reading. I was also very shy, so I found a lot of solace, (and imaginary friends!) in books.
4. Tell us something you’ve done as a result of reading non-fiction.
I got a lot better (and comfortable!) at asking for help and feel OK about it. Amanda Palmer’s ‘The Art of Asking’ made me realize that if you are genuine in your intention, there’s a lot of people out there waiting and wanting to pay it forward and give you a chance!
5. What makes you get out of bed in the morning?
To see what I can learn from the day about myself and the world. And newspapers. I love reading newspapers in the morning – in print with a nice cup of morning brew. Proper old school.
6. How do you take your tea?
Loose leaf and piping hot with honey. I’ve been sipping on a turmeric, ginger, lemongrass and ceylon cinnamon blend to warm this winter chill away!
7. Tell us about your business / passion project / a cause and how we can support it?
I run Unseen Tours as a passion / side project. We provide vulnerably-housed individuals in London a paid-opportunity to develop, curate, and lead guided walks in different neighbourhoods of London. We give them a platform and a voice to tell their own story and change the often too negative perception of homelessness.
Support us by spreading the word and directing any potential guides our way. We’re also looking to grow the team and the organization so you can also help by volunteering your expertise.
Rebel Readers x 20 Questions
We ask our Rebel Readers to answer 20 quick fire questions in no more than 3 minutes. But can they cut the mustard?
How can I become a Rebel Reader?
Simple…
- Head to our membership page and check out which membership is right for you (we offer one-off or subscription options, all-in or flexible).
- Hit the ‘Join’ button and we’ll take you through a few simple questions and sign you up.
- As soon as you’re a member, you’ll be welcomed by our community, offered links to join our various social networks based on location or special interests, invited to vote on which book comes next, and invited to all of our community socials + events, featuring experts + authors!
