London Anarchist bookfair 2020

[Magnus McGinty]

Sometimes I wonder if even you know what you're mad about. It's a mystery to us over here in the English-speaking world anyway.

Aren't you from the north? Allow me to translate.
Social revolution will involve removing the rights and oppressing the oppressor class.
To bring about a new social order.
Not sure if this latest bunch understand this. They seem more keen on rights activism under capitalism.

 

[TopCat]

Aren't you from the north? Allow me to translate.
Social revolution will involve removing the rights and oppressing the oppressor class.
To bring about a new social order.
Not sure if this latest bunch understand this. They seem more keen on rights activism under capitalism.

We can't put anyone against the wall no more.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

We can't put anyone against the wall no more.

Apart from other anarchists.

 

[TopCat]

Apart from other anarchists.

Who benefits?

 

[krink]

Ironic that the reduced turnout might leave them open to attack from actual fascists.

A few rounds of "alerta!" should see them off

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I think it's easy to slag this off (I baulked at the word "anathematic" FFS) and the liberal politics are a concern.

But there is no "demand" that the existing LABF collective hand over their resources.

And, whilst Past Tense is a comrade and friend, I am surprised to see him saying that the collective "are not disinclined" to put the event on again. I emailed the collective about a year ago and offered to help and had a friendly reply. But nothing since.

This latest - - suggests that the new lot are, at least on the surface, open to discussion.

The list of confirmed stalls suggests that there will be some decent politics (and the "mixed bag" of Active Distribution lol) rather than the horror show lash up of ID politics and Stalinism that has been mooted:

• Active Distribution
• Activist Court Aid Brigade
• AK Press (if in capacity)
• Anarchist Federation
• Art For Animals
• Class War
• Fourth Wave: London Feminist Activists
• Freedom Press
• Green Anticapitalist Front
• International of Anarchist Federations
• Jewdas
• Karan Reshad
• London Anti-Fascist Assembly
• Plan C
• PM Press
• Prisonism
• Reading Red Corner
• Reel News/Final Hours

I have NO DOUBT that there will be terrible people there, with terrible politics, saying terrible things. But that is hardly new.

There is a meeting on the 10th of August...

 

[Lurdan]

Nice to see they're applying a bit of nouce.

I'm quite entertained so double win I guess.

 

[butchersapron]

I think giving Z control of Freedom etc social media is only going to backfire on the organisers.

 

[Pickman's model]

I have NO DOUBT that there will be terrible people there, with terrible politics, saying terrible things. But that is hardly new.

There is a meeting on the 10th of August...

it wouldn't be the bookfair if terrible people with terrible politics didn't turn up and say terrible things.

 

[skyscraper101]

I usually just buy books on Amazon these days. Saves the hassle.

 

[Pickman's model]

I usually just buy books on Amazon these days. Saves the hassle.

yeh. i find i've almost all the books i want, and certainly more than the number of books i need. but i make a point of buying a book and making a few donations at every bookfair to help ensure that the groups i support have the wherewithal to make it through to the following bookfair - for most of the organisations it will be the day they get much of, if not the majority of, their income for the ensuing twelve months. i use amazon to identify books but in almost all cases then go to a real bookshop to order or buy them.

 

[Treacle Toes]

I usually just buy books on Amazon these days. Saves the hassle.

Deadpan.

 

[Serge Forward]

I notice at least two Corbynite groups on that list! (Unless they've changed their position.)

 

[Brainaddict]

I notice at least two Corbynite groups on that list! (Unless they've changed their position.)

Which ones?

 

[butchersapron]

Jewdas
Anarchist federation

 

[skyscraper101]

Jewdas is the the one that had Corbyn over for dinner isn't it?

 

[Brainaddict]

Jewdas is the the one that had Corbyn over for dinner isn't it?

Yeah, though I think more because he was a friend of some of them than because the organisation is committed to him politically. I've noticed a tendency for the anarchist rumour mill to ascribe indefensibly moderate positions to organisations based on some opinions that some people in them have expressed. They usually have a variety of positions within them - I'm sure the anarchist federation does. I heard a year or so that Plan C had come out for Corbyn, when in fact a few members had written about it then later left the organisation because they couldn't convert the rest of them to Corbynism.

 

[butchersapron]

Yeah, though I think more because he was a friend of some of them than because the organisation is committed to him politically. I've noticed a tendency for the anarchist rumour mill to ascribe indefensibly moderate positions to organisations based on some opinions that some people in them have expressed. They usually have a variety of positions within them - I'm sure the anarchist federation does. I heard a year or so that Plan C had come out for Corbyn, when in fact a few members had written about it then later left the organisation because they couldn't convert the rest of them to Corbynism.

Jewdas are anarchists then?
Plan c are anarchists then?

 

[Brainaddict]

Jewdas are anarchists then?
Plan c are anarchists then?

They both have self-declared anarchists among them for sure. Don't know if they'd pass your purity tests though.

 

[butchersapron]

They both have self-declared anarchists among them for sure. Don't know if they'd pass your purity tests though.

If they're not anarchists (in their own definition not mine, no purity law) then what the frig are they doing adding their names to this statement? Why not Compass? Why not Momentum? Do you think that would make any sort of political sense?

It's fucking mates rates here isn't it - that's what you're up to.

 

[Pickman's model]

They both have self-declared anarchists among them for sure. Don't know if they'd pass your purity tests though.

maybe they're at the wrong bookfair being as this is the ANARCHIST bookfair, not a RADICAL bookfair.

 

[Serge Forward]

So Plan C is no longer Plan Corbyn then?

 

[Lurdan]

If they're not anarchists (in their own definition not mine, no purity law) then what the frig are they doing adding their names to this statement?

Statement ?

I've seen there's a list of confirmed stallholders at the bottom of the announcement but It wasn't and still isn't clear to me that this means they've "signed" it. On the face of it it looks as if their names 'have been added' by the organisers themselves. Am I to assume that's wrong and that they're supposed to be on board with the nonsense on the Freedom twitter account ?

 

[butchersapron]

Statement ?

I've seen there's a list of confirmed stallholders at the bottom of the announcement but It wasn't and still isn't clear to me that this means they've "signed" it. On the face of it it looks as if their names 'have been added' by the organisers themselves. Am I to assume that's wrong and that they're supposed to be on board with the nonsense on the Freedom twitter account ?

That's exactly how i was reading it - as endorsement.

But even if not...why these particular pre-approved stalls from non-anarchists? This pre stuff didn't happen by accident.

 

[Lurdan]

That's exactly how i was reading it - as endorsement.

But even if not...why these particular pre-approved stalls from non-anarchists? This pre stuff didn't happen by accident.

Despite living in walking distance of Freedom, in real terms I'd imagine I'm looking at this from further away than you are. That said...

I certainly got the impression from the interchange between Past Tense and Freedom that there had been some 'pre stuff' as you put it and that the kindest interpretation was that the old organisers hadn't been kept in the loop. Personally I don't feel like speculating as to whether that meant the people who signed up for stalls were in some cabal with the new organisers.

Indeed looking at the turns of expression used in the announcement and some of the twitter responses (for example 'We have reached out to the prior collective behind London Anarchist Bookfair 2017' and 'We hope they welcome a new collective taking on the role'), which to me suggest a fairly obvious degree of 'politician speak' at work, my initial question would be to ask exactly what was in the 'prospectus' that was sent to prospective stallholders ?

I wouldn't have thought it very likely that such a disparate set of groups would sign up to anything which wasn't worded in fairly broad and non-polemical terms.

But as I say I'm looking at this from entirely outside.

 

[nyxx]

So there’s been several regional anarchist / radical / autonomous bookfairs which had pretty clear stances on transphobia, and which by all accounts were well attended.
Is this new collective’s stance much different to those?
Is there any reason why the org’s which had stalls at those events in smaller cities wouldn’t be able to have one at this?

 

[nyxx]

That's exactly how i was reading it - as endorsement.

But even if not...why these particular pre-approved stalls from non-anarchists? This pre stuff didn't happen by accident.

Was it pre approved tho?
I assumed they’ve just said they want to have a stall after seeing the announcement. It was a Sunday, so that seems feasible...

 

[butchersapron]

If you believe that you'll believe anything.

 

[chilango]

I think it's easy to slag this off (I baulked at the word "anathematic" FFS) and the liberal politics are a concern.

But there is no "demand" that the existing LABF collective hand over their resources.

And, whilst Past Tense is a comrade and friend, I am surprised to see him saying that the collective "are not disinclined" to put the event on again. I emailed the collective about a year ago and offered to help and had a friendly reply. But nothing since.

This latest - - suggests that the new lot are, at least on the surface, open to discussion.

The list of confirmed stalls suggests that there will be some decent politics (and the "mixed bag" of Active Distribution lol) rather than the horror show lash up of ID politics and Stalinism that has been mooted:

• Active Distribution
• Activist Court Aid Brigade
• AK Press (if in capacity)
• Anarchist Federation
• Art For Animals
• Class War
• Fourth Wave: London Feminist Activists
• Freedom Press
• Green Anticapitalist Front
• International of Anarchist Federations
• Jewdas
• Karan Reshad
• London Anti-Fascist Assembly
• Plan C
• PM Press
• Prisonism
• Reading Red Corner
• Reel News/Final Hours

I have NO DOUBT that there will be terrible people there, with terrible politics, saying terrible things. But that is hardly new.

There is a meeting on the 10th of August...

A few groups I'd like to meet/speak to there. I'd go to this. But, equally, a number of not exactly Anarchist groups there. Opens them up to age old arguments from the likes of the Squeegees and the ICC...

Be glad to see it happen though.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Aren't you from the north? Allow me to translate.
Social revolution will involve removing the rights and oppressing the oppressor class.
To bring about a new social order.
Not sure if this latest bunch understand this. They seem more keen on rights activism under capitalism.

Could we not give them a whole fortnight before we condemn them utterly and forever?