We’re excited to announce that an Anarchist bookfair will be returning to London on Saturday October 24th 2020.
This event is being organised by a new collective of individuals from across London and the UK.
The composition of the organising collectives behind the various Anarchist bookfairs in London has changed many times over the years and we are proud to take on the task of bringing a prominent bastion of Anarchist and radical thinking back to the city. The regular “London Anarchist Bookfair” has been a vital component of the Anarchist community since it's inception in 1981 and we intend for the 38th such event carry on in this fine tradition.
Bookfair 2020 will be a diverse event with a organisational focus on our internationalism and our Anarchist heritage here in the UK. We are hoping that our international comrades will join us on the day, as many did in previous years and we intend to play host to workshops and displays that illustrate our shared Anarchist tradition and remember our fallen comrades, in whose name we continue the fight against oppression.
More than just a simple marketplace, bookfairs are cornerstones of Anarchism, linchpins of a diverse and sprawling revolutionary movement. They are where we come together to share our ideas, debate our positions and develop our theory and praxis. They help us to believe in better worlds and start to lay the foundations of world free of oppression, corporatism and the brutal authority of the state. They give faith to the long in the tooth and inspire young minds — they must be defended and maintained at all costs and utilised by and for the working class for genuine results.
We have reached out to the prior collective behind London Anarchist Bookfair 2017, who previously stated that they were disinclined to carry on organising further events. We hope they welcome a new collective taking on the role, we have been in contact with them regarding passing forward the London Anarchist Bookfair's resources; social media accounts, equipment, finances and the like which have been built up through previous events and for their collective general endorsement of Bookfair 2020 so we can hit the ground running and maintain lineage. We hope that those inclined will continue with their good work with the Bookfair 2020 collective!
In respect to the events in 2017 where transphobic material was shared in the female bathrooms and the main hall, we wish to state that Bookfair 2020 will follow our comrades from Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh and elsewhere in providing a space diverse in character and secure from xenophobia and bigotry in any vein.
Our solidarity is overt and complete.
Any politic which would seek to oppress, undermine or remove the rights and liberties of others is anathematic to Anarchism and will find no welcome nor tolerance at the bookfair itself or any associated event or space. To compliment our Safer Space Policy, a statement of solidarity, inclusivity and pro-active community defence will be written and upheld during the event with stall holders and attendees encouraged to take ownership of our shared space and protect it from such reckless hate.
We do this to be clear that no aspect of oppression will be allowed within our revolutionary spaces.
Solidarity and unity being key principles to Anarchism, we would like Bookfair 2020 to act as a focus point for re-building cohesion in our community, fostering new networks and developing stronger ties and understanding between us. Sharing knowledge and supporting each others' personal and political development in good faith is the call of the day. We shall ensure an array of workshops to cater for this and we shall host speakers on a variety of topics from gender to ecology, refugee support to homeless solidarity and beyond.
Further to this we aim to make a dynamic and welcoming space which is accessible to all. We will be providing crèche and youth space alongside provisions for those we hearing difficulties, sensory issues and social difficulties. There will also be vegan food and drink available.
If anyone wishes to get involved, we welcome volunteers from all backgrounds and abilities. Whether you are able/inclined to plan the logistics, help fundraise, promote the event or help us run everything on the day, please get in touch. We will shortly begin a series of regular meetings, many of which will be open to attendees and spend the next year working towards a grand event. If you have ideas for talks, workshops, discussions or stalls or simply wish to book a space, please do not hesitate to get in contact.
We hope you will join us on and together we can build a stronger more resilient community and forge a better future, one free of shackles of capitalism and the tyranny of the state and strengthen our bonds of international and intersectional solidarity, mutual aid and unity.
We will be holding a meeting on the 10th of August in London, if you would like to attend please contact us for the specifics.
Love and Rage
~ The Bookfair2020 Crew ■
Email:- bookfair2020@protonmail.com
bookfair2020.org.uk
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