London Anarchist Bookfair 2022

[nastyned]

If the CWO had a stall inside then why were they outside handing out leaflets and showing people emails that they'd been banned? I'm pretty sure it was ICC, I wish I'd taken a leaflet now so I could check.

The CWO had a stall inside. The ICC were outside. The I-Spy Book of Left Communists was available on the day for anyone getting confused.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

smokedout also I agree with you that a meeting on the war would be more useful if it included Ukrainian anarchists fwiw.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

The CWO had a stall inside. The ICC were outside. The I-Spy Book of Left Communists was available on the day for anyone getting confused.

I am slightly filled with self-loathing that I know all this stuff, so it is probably healthier to be confused about it all.

 

[nastyned]

I am slightly filled with self-loathing that I know all this stuff, so it is probably healthier to be confused about it all.

Think of the points you get if you spot someone from the PCInt though!

 

[LDC]

I don't disagree with you about Ukraine necessarily by the way LDC but it occurs to me that it should ideally be hosted by Ukranian anarchists not the UK branch of the ICC (who I think is who we're actually talking about because I'm pretty sure it was them outside) and I suspect most Ukranian anarchists are quite busy.

Even though I like the members I've met and they generally have pretty sound politics, I'd be pretty wary of booking a no-war talk by the CWO (who are ICT rather than the ICC aren't they?) as well tbh, although I'd like to think that sorting out a discussion on Ukraine, anarchists, and the war could have been possible, a panel debate with Zoom guests? Various POVs presented and then discussed? Either way given the impact and importance of the war something definitely should have been on the program imo, although I do know sorting that stuff out when it's not been offered is harder than it might seem. But I think if you take on things like the Bookfair then you do have some responsibility to try and get these things on the program rather than just leave it totally open to what gets offered - especially if you then filter things out that do get offered.

I suspect if the CWO meeting had happened it might have turned into a discussion on Ukraine anyway.

Honestly though all this (and reports I've heard from the event) just makes me relieved I don't bother going anymore, and why I feel a huge gulf between me and that often pretty fucked up and depressing scene nowadays.

 

[The39thStep]

looking forward to next years bookfair

 

[DaveCinzano]

If DEAD QUEEN has taught us anything, it's that any successful event needs big queue energy

 

[A380]

looking forward to next years bookfair

I've booked a stall...

 

[nastyned]

Even though I like the members I've met and they generally have pretty sound politics, I'd be pretty wary of booking a no-war talk by the CWO (who are ICT rather than the ICC aren't they?) as well tbh, although I'd like to think that sorting out a discussion on Ukraine, anarchists, and the war could have been possible, a panel debate with Zoom guests? Various POVs presented and then discussed? Either way given the impact and importance of the war something definitely should have been on the program imo, although I do know sorting that stuff out when it's not been offered is harder than it might seem. But I think if you take on things like the Bookfair then you do have some responsibility to try and get these things on the program rather than just leave it totally open to what gets offered - especially if you then filter things out that do get offered.

I suspect if the CWO meeting had happened it might have turned into a discussion on Ukraine anyway.

Honestly though all this (and reports I've heard from the event) just makes me relieved I don't bother going anymore, and why I feel a huge gulf between me and that often pretty fucked up and depressing scene nowadays.

Hmmm...so you've gone from not believing the CWO weren't allowed to have a 'No War But The Class War' talk to thinking actually that's probably a good idea. I will be forwarding this evidence of your centrist vacillation to the CWO AND the ICC who I am sure will respond appropriately.

 

[nogojones]

Just when you thught the world couldn't get any more absurd, we seem to now have the spectacle of anarcho-communists cheering on the very same people who'd kill them when the day comes.

I guess for them they are more concerned about the people who are trying to kill them today.

 

[The39thStep]

Hmmm...so you've gone from not believing the CWO weren't allowed to have a 'No War But The Class War' talk to thinking actually that's probably a good idea. I will be forwarding this evidence of your centrist vacillation to the CWO AND the ICC who I am sure will respond appropriately.

Don't start misrepresenting LDCs position, please

 

[nastyned]

Don't start misrepresenting LDCs position, please

I'm half way through the 10,000 word essay already.

 

[charlie mowbray]

Do we know that's what happened, I thought someone had seen an email responding to the ICC? There seems to be a lot of speculation going on and a real eagerness to throw out accusations of censorship without any real foundation.

It wasn't the ICC, it was the CWO, pay attention!

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I spoke to a mate yesterday who informed me that AK Press were going to attend but had some logistical problems at their end so didn’t make it.

I think we’re all agreed here that a meeting on Ukraine would have been worthwhile. The fact that an ultra-left sect did not get a meeting could have been for a whole bunch of reasons, including capacity.

 

[charlie mowbray]

Except it wasn't.

 

[danny la rouge]

I spoke to a mate yesterday who informed me that AK Press were going to attend but had some logistical problems at their end so didn’t make it.

Aye, that’s a common theme at AK Press these days. I wish them well.

 

[ska invita]

I hear there is to be a new editor at Freedom - was told name (of editor and their partner) but have forgotten - sounded quite positive - anyone know more?

 

[danny la rouge]

I hear there is to be a new editor at Freedom - was told name (of editor and their partner) but have forgotten - sounded quite positive - anyone know more?

Lisa and Martin.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

The issue of Freedom that came out for the Bookfair is pretty good. Pieces by an RMT rep, something on lessons learned from the Common House meeting space, Ian Bone's memories of 80s Hackney, Advisory Service for Squatters...

 

[The39thStep]

I hear there is to be a new editor at Freedom - was told name (of editor and their partner) but have forgotten - sounded quite positive - anyone know more?

Do you mean partner as in relationship ?

 

[danny la rouge]

The issue of Freedom that came out for the Bookfair is pretty good. Pieces by an RMT rep, something on lessons learned from the Common House meeting space, Ian Bone's memories of 80s Hackney, Advisory Service for Squatters...

I’ve not read Freedom in years, the odd article aside. Long before its retreat from hard copy.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I’ve not read Freedom in years, the odd article aside. Long before its retreat from hard copy.

Well I wasn't around in the glory days of the 1880s, Danny...

 

[danny la rouge]

Well I wasn't around in the glory days of the 1880s, Danny...

This was all fields back then.

 

[ska invita]

Do you mean partner as in relationship ?

yes, the new female editor's male partner was involved with Anonymous in its earliest incarnation IIRC, served time for it, and is an entertaining writer, so i have been told.

ETA Ive google deduced it

https://twitter.com/GayFrogs15

Barrett Brown - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[hitmouse]

yes, the new female editor's male partner was involved with Anonymous in its earliest incarnation IIRC, served time for it, and is an entertaining writer, so i have been told

Oh, Barrett Brown, sounds like? Oh, and Sylvia Mann:

 

[danny la rouge]

OK. I don’t know them.

 

[hitmouse]

Don't know anything about Mann, but BB previously appeared on these boards (as a subject of conversation, not a poster afaik) in a discussion about a certain banner being held at a Kill the Bill protest. Sounds like the liberals haven't managed to get him deported yet?

 

[The39thStep]

Don't know anything about Mann, but BB previously appeared on these boards (as a subject of conversation, not a poster afaik) in a discussion about a certain banner being held at a Kill the Bill protest. Sounds like the liberals haven't managed to get him deported yet?

That story Pickman's model about Hugh Cornwall’s laundry bag is a belter

 

[hitmouse]

That story Pickman's model about Hugh Cornwall’s laundry bag is a belter

Yes, I had enjoyed being reminded of that - classic unpredictable derail, 10/10.

 

[Rob Ray]

Yes Sylvia is gradually taking over from Zosia (though the latter is going to be around for a wee while yet - we've actually managed the rare trick of not just throwing some poor sod in at the deep end for once so she'll have a couple old editors to ask why people are complaining about us this time). The editorial group's actually a group atm which is nice.

Bookfair went pretty well as far as Freedom goes, partly because AK and PM weren't able to make it I expect (we ended up carrying a bunch of AK stock on our stall so they weren't completely absent). The zine fair and after-drinks in Angel Alley were particularly successful by all accounts, I wasn't there in the day as I was on stalls/at Bishopsgate but got there after closing and had never seen the place so packed.