via Freedom News
We’re a little late coming out with our list of the year’s anarchist bookfairs, having missed what was by all accounts a very successful showing in Derry on January 27th with a bigger turnout than in 2017 with a huge variety of publications on show.
There’s also a big gap in this year’s list at the moment, with the glaring absence of the London Anarchist Bookfair in the October schedule — though all credit to the fine progressives of Swansea for bringing an all-new bookfair to the tables that same month instead.
At present some of the detail is patchy on venues, particularly later in the year, but we’ll be aiming to fill out as we go — for now, the dates below should help fill out the radical diary nicely over spring and summer.
April 7th: Liverpool Anarchist Bookfair
11am-6pm at The Black-E, 1 Great George Street
Bookings for stalls are now available at £15 per table, along with spaces for workshops and campaign presentations.
Contact liverpool.anarchistbookfair at gmail.com
Event page
May 6th: Norwich Anarchist Bookfair
2pm-11pm, venue tbc
Despite a change of venue announcement, the bookfair is well in hand with stalls confirmed from the Anarchist Federation, Solidarity Federation, hunt sabs, PM Press, Eleusinian Press, the Cunningham Amendment and many more, plus headline talks on the Norwich Soup Movement, Freedom Fibres and Faslane Peace Camp. Hosted by No Comply Promotions.
Event page
May 12th: Bristol Anarchist Bookfair
Details tbc
Organisers are promising their Biggest Ever Venue in the east of the city and have already set the pace for entertaining promo posters (see above).
Website | Twitter
June 2nd: London Radical Bookfair
Goldsmiths University, New Cross
Organised by the Alliance for Radical Booksellers and featuring the annual Bread and Roses award for radical literature, this is the London Radical Bookfair’s third outing. More info to follow.
Website | Facebook
August 4th: Dorset Radical Bookfair
11am-6pm at Beufort Community Centre, Beaufort Rd
Including such wonders as vooks, stalls, food, meetings, a kids’ area, zines, films, talks and a safe space policy. “We welcome rational debate, we don’t welcome attention-seekers, bigots, fascists, grasses and scabs.”
Plus an afterparty at the Riviera Bar with live music and reggae DJ ’til 2am, £5 suggested donation.
Website
October 13th: Rhyddical Swansea Bookfair
Central Swansea, details tbc
Only recently announced and not many details yet
Event page.
November 17th: Nottingham Radical Bookfair
11am-4.30pm at Nottingham Mechanics Institute, 3 North Sherwood St
Nottingham’s second radical bookfair, organised by Five Leaves Bookshop, featuring stalls by national and local publishers, second-hand booksellers and a full supporting programme throughout the day.
December? Manchester & Salford Anarchist Bookfair
Last update was that they were hoping to announce a date “early in 2018.” For enquiries, email [email protected]
Facebook page.
Will they/won’t they
Some of the bookfairs which have taken place in recent years are yet to declare on whether they are doing one in 2018, but if you want to keep a general eye out, details are below:
Bradford: The 1in12 Club doesn’t always do bookfairs, but when it does they’re interesting. Last time was September 2014
Belfast: Usually held around mid-October but nothing announced yet, updates here.
Cambridge: Last year this was held at the end of April by Anti-Capitalist Cambridge, no word yet of a repeat.
Cardiff: The local anarchist network is concentrating on anti-arms activism over the next month and aren’t repeating last year’s February event, but we’ll keep an eye out in case something materialises later in 2018/
London: The biggest event of the anarchist calendar in Britain is not being put together by the longstanding bookfair collective this October, but there have been talks about running a smaller one with a new collective. Watch this space.
Sheffield: Last year saw the Showroom and Workstation host in late May, the collective website is here.
Have we missed you out? Get in touch with us via editor at freedompress.org.uk or @freedom_paper. For a listing of bookfairs worldwide, check out the anarchist bookfairs blog