Anarchist bookfair -meetings and workshop look good

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I've been pleasantly surprised by the meetings and workshops at this years anarchist bookfair. From what I heard they wanted to have better quality meetings than previous years.

For more see: www.anarchistbookfair.org

some highlights:

Double Book Launch!

Two veterans of the anarchist movement, Ian Bone and Martin Lux are pleased to announce the publication of their eminently readable tomes. Ian's “Confessions of an Anarchist” covers the period 1965/85 including the definite insider story of Class War. Martin's “Anti-Fascist – a foot soldiers story” gives a vivid, sometimes brutal, street level view of the antifascist movement of the 1970's. Be warned! Both books pull no punches, are explicit, and uncompromising in the extreme.

The Story of Solidarity 1960 – 1990

Radical History Network of North East London

Solidarity for Workers Power was a libertarian organisation with a national membership. It produced many books and pamphlets that people still want today. We are often asked to explain who they were. The meeting/discussion will look at the group and explain who and what they were as well as publicise our radical history group.

Campaign For Real Anarchism

A meeting to discuss the future of the indigenous anarchist movement.

Why have we lost the imitative on the streets? Why is political and revolutionary social activity at such an all time low? There is overwhelming apathy and indifference in Britain as a whole, despite war; dislocation; increasing exploitation; alienation; fundamentalism. What can we do to get back on track; off the Net; into the streets, estates, workplaces and become a real menace and threat to the system in all its aspects?

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Re Public wrote:
What can we do to get back on track; off the Net

Ha is that in there just for us?

The first two meetings sound good, I'll probably buy martin and ian's books, though I bet martin's'll be better, and possibly more reliable... The last meeting, I get the impression it will be pretty awful. I mean, "how can we get... into estates" or "workplaces"? Well the first, you gotta get a council house (good luck!), the second, you gotta get a job. Sounds pretty ghetto-tastic.

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yeah sounds interesting, but the third one's assertion that

Quote:
There is overwhelming apathy and indifference in Britain as a whole

isn't really true. maybe its just to provoke debate, but the liberal establishment is shitting themselves that people are more politicised than ever (though through NGOs etc mostly), and if they don't reform bourgeois democracy to recapture politics onto that terrain then it will go into crisis (see powerinquiry.org)

the problem from an anarchist pov is that while people are pissed of, stressed out and fed up, justified cynicism at official politics has so far precluded any major 'counter-politics' outside and against it

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Quote:
There is overwhelming apathy and indifference in Britain as a whole

And of course the right is being given almost everything it wants and yet has never been angrier or more convinced that society is collapsing in on itself.

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http://libcom.org/forums/organise/london-calling

this looks like being the most interesting set of meetings at the bookfair to me... wink

BB
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"The meetings are in no particular order"

Bleedin anarchists...

Anyone have a rundown of times yet?

Also i didn't see a link to here...

Joined: 15-03-04

this is so much better than last year, i'm actually pleasantly surprised, which is not something you can often say about the activities of the anarchist movement

BB
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BB wrote:
Anyone have a rundown of times yet?

They're up.

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Its a lot for one day isn't it?

Where I am supposed to find the time to get pissed?

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come out with the wobs afterwards red n black star

BB
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PaulMarsh wrote:
Its a lot for one day isn't it?

Where I am supposed to find the time to get pissed?

It took me 6 bookfairs before i went to my first meeting ...

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Quote:
4pm – 5pm
General Strike
Text to follow

Te he he

Joined: 23-01-04

the line up looks promising, theres more clashes than reading and leeds in the morning though! Really looking foward to it, most importantly what's the local called and is it cheap?

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There's a wetherspoons nearby. They usually don't have music though, do you think anyone can provide any?

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JC

Part of their corporate agenda is not to have music so they may not best be pleased if any is provided. Maybe we could find somewhere else local - given they also appear to have an agenda of no atmosphere ( neutral ) ooh and no televised football!! angry wink

Love

LW X

Joined: 28-09-04

Oh man, don't tell me LW needs another 411!! Damn...

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Quote:
They usually don't have music though, do you think anyone can provide any?

no, i think "anyone" had their stereo busted when that stunt was tried last time!

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Lone Wolf wrote:
Part of their corporate agenda is not to have music so they may not best be pleased if any is provided.

jef was making an amusing joke - cos last years some morons took a stereo into the pub.

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John. wrote:
Lone Wolf wrote:
Part of their corporate agenda is not to have music so they may not best be pleased if any is provided.

jef was making an amusing joke - cos last years some morons took a stereo into the pub.

Are you saying Jefs jokes aren't normally amusing??
angry wink

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Btw

Cheers for the link Ticking Fool. smile Look forward to meeting you aussi.

rkn
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Time Out has a 2 page article on the bookfair:
http://www.timeout.com/london/books/features/2054.html

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Rkn

Cheers for the link - a pretty positive "review". Tho I was amused at the sentence which began "The Bookfair isn't just about books - it is also about T-Shirts and badges..." grin

User offline. Last seen 11 hours 13 min ago. Offline
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And at 11am (possibly a tad early) there will be the Anarchist Quiz Book launch, appropriately enough with a quiz. grin

Should have done some promo before, but my new employers are being meanies with the internet...

regards

Martin