Libcom at the London anarchist bookfair 2012

London anarchist bookfair
London anarchist bookfair

Ahead of the London anarchist bookfair on Saturday, here's a few recommendations and announcements from the libcom team.

Submitted by libcom on October 24, 2012

Fall Back's pick: 'Strikes, Nukes & Overdue Subscription Fees – Anarchist organisation in original documents (1944-64)' (Room 322, 2-3pm). I went to the launch of this a few months ago and it is AMAZING, in an anarchist history nerd kind of way.

Ramona's pick: 'The struggle for abortion in Ireland' (Room 323, 2-3pm). Its crucial not to become complacent about women's rights and bodily autonomy, which are under attack here too. Women in Ireland and elsewhere need our solidarity.

Libcom admin Ramona will be on the panel of the 'What is class struggle?' discussion (Room 320, 3-4pm), and Joseph Kay will be speaking on a panel discussion on 'Anarchist Economics', alongside Iain McKay, Michael Albert and David Graeber (Mason Lecture Theatre, 4:30-6:30pm). JK and the other libcom admins have previously debated Iain McKay here, Parecon and Michael Albert here and here, and have discussed David Graeber's latest book here and here.

We won't have a stall this year, but we will have a box under the Solidarity Federation stall where people can leave any pamphlets, newsletters, leaflets or books which they would like us to scan and put online in the libcom library. N.b. unfortunately any texts other than those on single sheets of paper will be damaged in the scanning process, so only donate texts you wouldn't mind us damaging or cutting up.

Libcom will also be hosting a joint social with the Anarchist Federation and the Solidarity Federation, upstairs at the New Globe, 359 Mile End Road, from 7pm. Join us for drinks, chat, and meeting all those annoying people off the internet. We'll also be passing a bucket round to support Freedom after their recent financial troubles.

And finally, here's libcom's anarchist bookfair eye spy game from 2007. Still surprisingly current!

Comments

Steven.

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on October 24, 2012

That eye spy I think was probably actually written in something like 2003

lzbl

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by lzbl on October 24, 2012

'chavs'

Steven.

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on October 24, 2012

I have just added a paragraph to this saying the following:

We won't have a stall this year, but we will have a box under the Solidarity Federation stall where people can leave any pamphlets, newsletters, leaflets or books which they would like us to scan and put online in the libcom library. N.b. unfortunately any texts other than those on single sheets of paper will be damaged in the scanning process, so only donate texts you wouldn't mind us damaging or cutting up.

sabot

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by sabot on October 24, 2012

Joseph Kay will be speaking on a panel discussion on 'Anarchist Economics', alongside Iain McKay, Michael Albert and David Graeber (Mason Lecture Theatre, 4:30-6:30pm).

:O
I'm really a sucker for this type of stuff. Will there be any audio recordings at least?

knotwho

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by knotwho on October 24, 2012

sabot

Joseph Kay will be speaking on a panel discussion on 'Anarchist Economics', alongside Iain McKay, Michael Albert and David Graeber (Mason Lecture Theatre, 4:30-6:30pm).

:O
I'm really a sucker for this type of stuff. Will there be any audio recordings at least?

Ditto

Joseph Kay

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Joseph Kay on October 24, 2012

I don't know. It's being organised by AK Press, I'll ask around.

alan on tyneside

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by alan on tyneside on October 24, 2012

@lzbl

Aye, 'chavs'. As in lumpen proletarian, thick-as-fuck, dole-scrounging, pikey denizens of councils estates, and thus easily mistaken for fascists. Fuck's sake. The sort of thing we might expect from Engels in 'Condition of the Working Class in England' mode, or the Daily fuckin Mail..

Anyway, not wanting to make a big deal of it, but just for info., I first heard the word, (or rather its Geordie equivalent - charva/charver) on Meadow Well about 25 years ago. Used by persons recently released from prison/YOI to describe somebody who had been their mate/friend while banged up; " who's this lad you're talking about?", "He was me charva in Durham/Castington/Low Newton etc"

Somebody once told me that the word might have Roma derivation, but I dunno about that; be interested if anyone else has anything on the usage or origins though :-) A.

klas batalo

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by klas batalo on October 24, 2012

sabot

Joseph Kay will be speaking on a panel discussion on 'Anarchist Economics', alongside Iain McKay, Michael Albert and David Graeber (Mason Lecture Theatre, 4:30-6:30pm).

:O
I'm really a sucker for this type of stuff. Will there be any audio recordings at least?

agreed with my comrade of similar name ;)

Arbeiten

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Arbeiten on October 24, 2012

alan on tyneside

Somebody once told me that the word might have Roma derivation, but I dunno about that; be interested if anyone else has anything on the usage or origins though :-) A.

Just an anecdote, but before the word had popular usage I knew it because it was what the travellers that used to live near us called their kids. The chavs or the chavvys.

Steven.

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on October 24, 2012

alan on tyneside

@lzbl

Aye, 'chavs'. As in lumpen proletarian, thick-as-fuck, dole-scrounging, pikey denizens of councils estates, and thus easily mistaken for fascists. Fuck's sake. The sort of thing we might expect from Engels in 'Condition of the Working Class in England' mode, or the Daily fuckin Mail..

you do get that that is why it is in the guide, right? Because people did say things like that, based on their prejudiced views of culturally working class "lads"?

lzbl

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by lzbl on October 24, 2012

No, it's in the guide as a descriptor of a group of men in a pub. It's not like the use of the word 'paki' which is directly attributed to someone being a scum.

vermelho

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by vermelho on October 24, 2012

In Spanish exists the word "chaval" that means boy. It comes from caló, that is, the language that Portuguese and Spanish Romani people speak. I don't know if there is a connection.

unionworkeruk

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by unionworkeruk on October 24, 2012

There is no connection between chavvies and chavs. Chavvies as has been said is Romany for children, kids etc even mate. Chav is an insulting term for a tasteless dosser or sponger where I live and most of the manual working class when used by the middle classes. It is now getting a bit dated.

Joseph Kay

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Joseph Kay on October 25, 2012

AK says there's no plan to record the Anarchist Economics talk, though there is a possibility of participants writing up their talks afterwards (I'll try and do this, fingers crossed). SF are trying to acquire a dictaphone (mine broke :( ), and are going to try recording some of our stuff, partly as a test run to see if it works ok, or if we need a proper mic/recording setup.

sabot

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by sabot on October 25, 2012

Need any £ for new equipment? I can't fund a recording studio but if it's reasonable I can make a donation.

Edit: PM me if necessary.

Joseph Kay

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Joseph Kay on October 25, 2012

SF will cover it if need be, but thanks.

Caiman del Barrio

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Caiman del Barrio on October 25, 2012

i always thought "chav" came from "Cheltenham average", a disparaging term used by Cheltenham Girls School pupils to refer to, well, everyone else.

EDIT anyway, noone says it anymore, noone i know anyway, and knowing what I know about Ed's background & dress sense ( ;) ), not to mention the general tone of the sentence, it's highly unlikely that it was supposed to be derogatory and I'm surprised by Lzbl's reaction.

Chilli Sauce

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on October 26, 2012

I think one particular libcom admin has my books from the last bookfair....

(I think anyway, I hope you haven't given them back to me and I'm talking out my ass.)

Steven.

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on October 26, 2012

Are you going to be there? If so, I will try to find them to give them back

Chilli Sauce

11 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on October 26, 2012

Gonna be there and even on a panel.