Anarchist book fair(e)s

[HoboHomesteader]

If you look at upcoming events, you will notice that anarchist bookfairs are our milleus most prolific proliferation.

Discuss. Are book fairs useful/productive/etc?

[Blake's Baby]

They aren't necessarily the most prolific 9it may just be that as they're bigger than many events they attract the most advertising), but I'd say they're among the most important. Certainly they're the biggest events that are held on a reguar basis and planned in advance. There were hundreds - many hundreds I'd say - at the London Bookfair a couple of weeks ago. There were something like 70 different meetings during the day, people travelled to it from across the UK and many other parts of the globe specifically to meet and discuss with people - how is that not important?

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

Aye, while I agree that the "ANARCHY MALL!" aspect of book fairs is less than appealing, I think it would be superficial to imagine that it's all that happens at these events.

Speaking from my own experience, having been an alcoholic punk kid, I didn't have many opportunities to interact with older, more experienced organizers - we just didn't inhabit the same spaces. The Montreal anarchist book fair meant that I was suddenly in workshops and discussions with folk who were part of 60s civil rights movements, people who'd been out gay anarchist punks in the 80s, people who'd been to prison for their organizing, and so on - a spectrum of experiences largely missing from my young, mostly white, bubble.

So, sure, buying books and t-shirts isn't a transformative experience, but that's never what I remember when I think back over the past seven Montreal Anarchist Book Fairs I've attended.

It does raise questions though: are there other types of events that would be better suited than book fairs? Bring in different crowds, for the better? If the books themselves aren't really the point, why has "the book fair" proliferated so widely?

[helot]

I never buy anything from bookfairs. It's an opportunity for discussion and networking.

[The Idler]

It does raise questions though: are there other types of events that would be better suited than book fairs? Bring in different crowds, for the better?
Elections.

[HoboHomesteader]

I've have only been to ones in the SF bay area and on both sides of the table. I always have a good time. Most recently I went to the east bay anarchist bookfair and really enjoyed the less intense, less structured atmosphere, compared to the now defunct San Francisco Anarchist Bookfair, which was held in golden gate park, i.e. federal land 0-o. interestingly the IWW was the only group whose permit to table was denied...

on that note, some squatter comrades of mine from homes not jails started tabling on the sidewalk outside of the SF one last year, the organizers, specifically an "anarchist" from PM press called the police on them. With comrades like that,

[HoboHomesteader]

It does raise questions though: are there other types of events that would be better suited than book fairs? Bring in different crowds, for the better? If the books themselves aren't really the point, why has "the book fair" proliferated so widely?

Zine/DIY culture tends make these events attractive for certain elements of anarchist culture, many of whom like to travel. So its less about a producer-consumer model and more of a fellow comrades in print,etc. type event. maybe, just brainstorming.

but it is kinda "about the books", publishers probably depend on these events to connect with their readers and sell books. people buy a lot of shwag at these events. for me i like to support my own. Also many organizations and networks use these events to have a public presense, like food not bombs, animal liberation press office, etc. Real life anarchist/radical bookstores are few and far between, but still relatively common, i think that clearly "books"/literature and associated discussion and discourse is a really strong site of unification.

other events which tend to bring people together that i have seen have been regional anarchist GAs, skill shares (eg how to squat), occupy encampments and other forms of public occupation. at one occupy builiding occupation, there were comrades from at least 6-7 occupy groups up and down the west coast.