This year's Anarchist Bookfair will be on
Saturday 18th October
from 10am to 7pm

If you or your group are involved in anything connected with anarchist theory or practice and want to book a stall or meeting click here for a booking form .

This year, apart from the wide variety of anarchist groups and individuals having meetings we have the following speaking on specific subjects:

Lucio Urtubia (If you speak Spanish check out http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1491695608)

John Pilger

Paul Mason

Morris Beckman talking about his time in the “43 Group”

Introduction

As capitalism collapses around us in the market of ideas the anarchist pound is bouyant  and the 27th Anarchist Bookfair is back at Queen Mary College in London’s East End. A big thank you to everyone who helped make last year’s bookfair run smoothly and to you all for respecting the space.  This year we have 38 meetings, 90 stalls, an all day cabaret starring assorted ranters, poets, singers and comics; all day film showings and, two kids spaces. 

Access - This year the layout will be a bit different. Stalls will be split between the Great Hall and the Octagon room, which means that there will be more space and the whole bookfair will be wheelchair accessible. Please contact the info stall for wheelchair lift passes. If you have any other access requirements, please let us know in advance if possible so we can meet your needs. If you are Deaf and require BSL interpreting and/or speech-to-text provision, please give us as much notice as possible and we will do our best to organise these. To discuss any specific access needs, please contact us at: mail@anarchistbookfair.org. At the bookfair please go to the info stall for further details.

This programme should give you an idea of what’s on and when, but things never go completely to plan, so please bear with us if the odd meeting, film or cabaret performance has to change on the day.  All the up to the minute information will be available at the Bookfair Information Stall and on our website. Please respect the space, and remember that the whole venue, including the outside areas, are non smoking.      

Next to the Octagon room will be an all day tea, coffee and snack stall (until 6pm) so people wont’ need to treck over to the Curve cafe for a quick drink. The Curve cafe will be available for hot meals, drinks and snacks from noon to 4pm.

The creche will be signposted, and the ‘older kids room’ is also in the basement below the Octagon Room.

We have loads going on - see the rest of the website, for a run down of the meetings and other events. 

Please don’t forget this is all organised by a small collective. This year, more than ever, we need your donations to break even – the room and table hire have gone up and we are over a grand down again. So chuck us your spare change when you pass a bucket being rattled. We hope you find the day useful and enjoyable and come out feeling inspired.

Getting to the venue

The venue for this year's London Anarchist Bookfair, for the 2nd year running, is Queen Mary & Westfield College, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS.

If you are coming by public transport the following buses stop near the college on Mile End Road: 25; 205; 339.

If you are coming by tube the two nearest stations are Mile End (central line / Hammersmith & City line or District line) or Stepney Green (Hammersmith & City line or District line). From Mile End tube come out of station and turn left. Walk along Mile End Road until you get to Harford Street and entrance to venue is opposite Harford Road. From Stepney Green tube come out of station and turn left. Walk along Mile End Road and venue entrance is on your left opposite Harford Road.

See map of the venue and surrounding area. Ignore the arrow.

Last Word

This year’s publicity should really have read “London “ Anarchist bookfair. Anarchists all over the UK are putting on successful events – bookfairs in Bristol, Manchester, Bradford and Norwich and Durham as well as Newcastle’s Projectile festival. No-one can say that anarchists can’t organise. These are great social events and a real opportunity to spread anarchist ideas as well as debating them. We know anarchist politics aren’t about organising a bookfair. All of us in the Bookfair collective would choose a big, effective, militant anarchist movement over a successful bookfair.  Lets use these events to take things forward.