London Anarchist bookfair 2020

[Fozzie Bear]

And another great omission is ak press

Yep and Active Distribution it seems.

 

[Pickman's model]

Wonder how many confidential conversations will be conducted at volume in the cops' pub round the corner

 

[ska invita]

Well, that’s just it isn’t it? We don’t actually know why we’re not invited, because nobody has had the decency to tell us. In fact that graphic from Rhyddical above is the first confirmation I’ve seen that we don’t have a stall.

It would be very easy to say I Don't know, Im just a member of a bigger group, I'm not in charge of bookings, but the silence speaks volumes. A real shame this, a lot of time has passed since the last physical bookfair and it offered an opportunity to move on and reconcile.

 

[ska invita]

Yep and Active Distribution it seems.

There might be an innocent reasons for those (Inc ak). I hope it's just they didn't want to travel down for it. If it's another snub....

 

[andysays]

...It's rude when people willfully ignore stuff and very frustrating

And that's exactly what you are continuing to do here on this thread, ignoring to respond to perfectly reasonable requests for information/clarification.

I should add too, I'm just one member of the collective like, here in a personal capacity, wasting my time sharing the info and answering the questions I can about bookfair. If you think I'm a prick that's fair, but don't stretch that to the rest of the collective

You have chosen to appear on this thread, speaking for or claiming to speak for the collective.

I don't know or care whether you've been delegated to do this, or even if the other members of the collective are aware of your activities, but whether you recognise it or not, whether you like it or not, your performance on this thread inevitably reflects on the whole collective.

And in my opinion it doesn't reflect well on the whole collective that you choose to avoid giving any sort of answer to a simple question, and instead spend your time posting gibberish in an attempt to slag off phantom transphobes who you suggest were posting a couple of years or so ago.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

There might be an innocent reasons for those (Inc ak). I hope it's just they didn't want to travel down for it. If it's another snub....

Absolutely. I‘m still trying to maintain a position that the new organisers be given the benefit of the doubt. And there will be changes, good and bad, with new organisers of anything.

But Rhyddical ‘s failure to engage with people asking genuine and straightforward questions here is very disheartening.

 

[Rhyddical]

There might be an innocent reasons for those (Inc ak). I hope it's just they didn't want to travel down for it. If it's another snub....

My understanding is that it's a case of capacity and covid-19 things as it is for certain other ommisions, it's a shame we wont have proper stalls for AK and Active etc tho I think their stuff will be on tables.

Stalls will also be smaller this year due for much the same reason and stall holders limited to 2 per table.

I don't think any organisation which is Transpobic by it's nature applied for a stall, that would be weird.

 

[JimW]

It would be very easy to say I Don't know, Im just a member of a bigger group, I'm not in charge of bookings, but the silence speaks volumes. A real shame this, a lot of time has passed since the last physical bookfair and it offered an opportunity to move on and reconcile.

Precisely, if you're not in a position to say that's a fair enough answer too. This coy bollocks is awful. Hardly Malatesta engaging in comradely forthright disagreement and using the opportunity to advance his own case.

 

[ska invita]

My understanding is that it's a case of capacity and covid-19 things as it is for certain other ommisions, it's a shame we wont have proper stalls for AK and Active etc tho I think their stuff will be on tables.

Stalls will also be smaller this year due for much the same reason and stall holders limited to 2 per table.

I don't think any organisation which is Transpobic by it's nature applied for a stall, that would be weird.

Your comments are too late now, for me at least. It's clear what's up

 

[Serge Forward]

Have we had "the bookfair collective cannot comment on individual cases" yet?

 

[Fozzie Bear]

My understanding is that it's a case of capacity and covid-19 things as it is for certain other ommisions, it's a shame we wont have proper stalls for AK and Active etc tho I think their stuff will be on tables.

Stalls will also be smaller this year due for much the same reason and stall holders limited to 2 per table.

I don't think any organisation which is Transpobic by it's nature applied for a stall, that would be weird.

OK this is getting weird now because you’re answering general comments on here about AK and Active (for which, thank you).

But not the direct question several of us have asked about the ACG?

 

[danny la rouge]

I don't think any organisation which is Transpobic by it's nature applied for a stall, that would be weird.

So the speculation was wide of the mark. That’s something at least. Thanks for confirming that you don’t think we’re transphobic.

 

[hitmouse]

I mean the early portion of this tread is rife with transphobia and transphobic dogwhistles. I ended up blocking a lot of the people shovelling it and frankly it was dissapointing how many people who claim not to be transphobic were complicit in it or otherwise engaged in accusation of "red army" and "thought policy" becuase we simply had a policy of supporting the trans members of our community from some quite nasty people. There was also quite a lot of willfully ignoring it and having selective blinkers.
It's rude when people willfully ignore stuff and very frustrating, but hey, usually people have their reasons, I try not to judge, and I'm certainly not going to start spewing hostilities at them because of it, certainly didn't see me pick up individuals and getting adversial with them. I mean even if I disagree with their position or manner, I respect my comrades and don't jump to presume.

Fwiw, I wasn't posting here when this thread started, I probably read it as a lurker but have no great enthusiasm to go back and read it again. I realise it can be hard to presume good faith when you don't know me from Adam, so just to explain where I'm coming from: I think it's good that the new bookfair has a policy against transphobia, and if Women's Place, Mayday for Women, LGB Alliance or any similar clowns applied for stalls I think you should tell them to fuck off. Although that's probably me being overly liberal and diplomatic, and I wouldn't object if you wanted to tell them to fuck off and boil their heads, etc, instead.
I am not convinced that the ACG have similar politics to those groups I've listed above, and if you think that they do, and so they should be denied a stall on that grounds, it would be good if you could explain why. Again, I respect that it's your bookfair, and you have full freedom to reject any stalls you like if you don't feel that they have sufficient theoretical and tactical unity with you or whatever, but I also think you should be able to explain your reasoning on this subject.

My understanding is that it's a case of capacity and covid-19 things as it is for certain other ommisions, it's a shame we wont have proper stalls for AK and Active etc tho I think their stuff will be on tables.

Stalls will also be smaller this year due for much the same reason and stall holders limited to 2 per table.

I don't think any organisation which is Transpobic by it's nature applied for a stall, that would be weird.

OK, it's good that you've clarified that. Do you have a list of stalls you've rejected anywhere, and what the reasons for them are if so?


Also, am I right in thinking that Rebel City is a bulletin that is produced at least in part by London ACG? Does this mean that after all this London ACG will be there as stallholders anyway?

 

[andysays]

So the speculation was wide of the mark. That’s something at least. Thanks for confirming that you don’t think we’re transphobic.

Maybe they're just not that into you, danny

 

[danny la rouge]

Also, am I right in thinking that Rebel City is a bulletin that is produced at least in part by London ACG? Does this mean that after all this London ACG will be there as stallholders anyway?

Yes and yes.

 

[danny la rouge]

Maybe they're just not that into you, danny

And actually that would be fine. Just tell us you’re pissed off with those members who left the AF to form the ACG (incidentally the organisation is now several times that number, and most of us were never AF members), and you can’t properly forgive them. I’d accept that.

 

[Serge Forward]

Actually the ACG is now about 4 or 5 times the number of those who split from the AF.

 

[planetgeli]

And actually that would be fine. Just tell us you’re pissed off with those members who left the AF to form the ACG (incidentally the organisation is now several times that number, and most of us were never AF members), and you can’t properly forgive them. I’d accept that.

Is that what it is? Why are they being such a twat refusing to say that then? Seems simple enough.

 

[Athos]

Is that what it is? Why are they being such a twat refusing to say that then? Seems simple enough.

Because it clearly isn't the reason. Let's not give these clowns an easy out.

 

[hitmouse]

Also, while I'm reminding Rhyddical about events to promote, the Antiuniversity thing which seems to be cohosting the bookfair starts this weekend. Feel free to plug any and all events related to that, there's some on the 5th that sound quite good imo.

 

[Rhyddical]

Is that what it is? Why are they being such a twat refusing to say that then? Seems simple enough.

The Anarchist Federation and The Anarchist Bookfair in London are two entirely different organisation (that share a single member) and the neither makes it's decisions based on the interests/will of the other.

 

[hitmouse]

(In passing, there is also a session at the Antiuni that looks extremely fucking dodgy to me and I would be furious if any organisation I was part of suggested hosting it, dunno if bringing that up would be too much of a derail though.)

 

[Athos]

(In passing, there is also a session at the Antiuni that looks extremely fucking dodgy to me and I would be furious if any organisation I was part of suggested hosting it, dunno if bringing that up would be too much of a derail though.)

Not a derail. Which one?

 

[chilango]

Jeez Rhyddical answer the fecking question about the ACG will ya? I'm neither a member nor supporter (my loyalty lies elsewhere ) but this evasion is really shady looking.

 

[planetgeli]

The Anarchist Federation and The Anarchist Bookfair in London are two entirely different organisation (that share a single member) and the neither makes it's decisions based on the interests/will of the other.

Ok, cool, so it's not that.

So what is it?

Was there something in your by it's nature remark? You're encouraging speculation by not answering a direct question that's been put to you politely several times. And it is making you look an arse, and that's not how I remember your posts from last year.

 

[JimW]

Is this what they call crytpo-anarchism?

 

[danny la rouge]

Was there something in your by it's nature remark?

Oh, is that one of the ones that means there’s an anagram?

 

[planetgeli]

Oh, is that one of the ones that means there’s an anagram?

I've done better crosswords and yes Danny, I was thinking that a while back. Rhyddical riddles.

 

[LDC]

Ok, cool, so it's not that.

So what is it?

Was there something in your by it's nature remark? You're encouraging speculation by not answering a direct question that's been put to you politely several times. And it is making you look an arse, and that's not how I remember your posts from last year.

Yeah, I thought the 'by nature' was bit weird and maybe telling? But we won't know as they refuse to answer any questions on it.

 

[JimW]

Venal rather than a mortal sin. Say ten Hail Marys and you can pass out leaflets from behind a curtain on the final afternoon.