Bookfair callout
Bristol Anarchist Bookfair Goes Live
Get involved - stalls, meetings, ideasThe Bristol Anarchist Bookfair Collective is delighted to announce the date and location for 2008:
St Werburghs Centre, Horley Rd, Bristol BS2 9TJ
Saturday 13 September, from 10am to 5pm
All welcome - free entry
We hope that this year's Bookfair will be the first of an annual event, as there has been a 15-year gap in Bristol! We want to attract people from across the south west and into south Wales.
An Anarchist Bookfair is a day of anarchist books, ideas, pamphlets, discussions, merchandise, networking, free info, help & solidarity, games, bike workshops, tools, history, planning, speakers, resistance, and an all day vegan cafe. All the resources you need to reclaim your future.
It is our intention that the Bookfair will be:
- - A perfect introduction to anarchist ideas & practice for those seeking an alternative to the chaos & greed of capital, the boredom of party politics, the abject failure of centrally controlled state communism, and the unsustainability of present energy consumption.
- - An excellent opportunity for anarchists old and new to recharge their batteries and reading lists, to catch up with old friends, to sharpen their ideas, and to re-energise their enthusiasm for the struggle for a free world.
- - And for those who are critical, you are welcome to come along to join the discussions, to air your reservations, and to cut through the myths of anarchism to the reality.
Publicity:
Bookfair posters & flyers are available to see and download from http://www.bristolanarchistbookfair.org/posters02.html And check out also http://www.myspace.com/bristolanarchistbookfairOrganising:
Questions, offers of help, donations etc can be directed to us at bristolanarchistbookfair@riseup.net or we can be contacted at our bi-weekly meetings from 6.30 to 8.30pm, at 14 Robertson Rd, Bristol BS5 6JY.Peace & Freedom!
The Bristol Anarchist Bookfair Collective
Anarchism?
Anarchism eh? It's all free-living, free-loving, free-partying, free-thinking, free from everything isn't it? Sounds good! But actually no, it's not just sex & drugs & riot & roll. Behind the confused and misleading public image of anarchists lies a set of ideas, beliefs and dreams worth finding out about.
Anarchism is about mutual aid, solidarity, autonomy, total equality and social change. It’s about class politics, resisting injustice and exploitation, ending hierarchies, and defending the earth we live on. Fighting back hard, and playing hard too. Anarchism emerged as a defined social movement and political theory in the mid-19th century as part of the struggles of the growing European working class. Yet its origins can be traced back centuries to whenever people came together to resist oppression, to whenever people tried to live peacefully in harmony with the environment around them, and indeed to whenever the authorities tried to stop our desire to party and bring some fun into our lives.
If you don't like one or more of the following then you should come to our Bookfair: bosses, banks, wars, cops, overdevelopment and the loss of common green spaces, inflation, racism, media lies, anti-social crime, the rich & privileged elites, ID cards, cruelty, political parties & politicians, crap public transport.
At the Bookfair you will find: books, ideas, pamphlets, discussions, merchandise, networking, free info, games, tools, bike workshops, help & solidarity, history, planning, speakers, resistance, and a cheap all day cafe. All the resources you'll need to reclaim your future, and join the struggle for social change.
For an in-depth introduction to, and history of, anarchism please check the on-line Anarchist FAQ at www.anarchistfaq.org.uk or www.anarchismfaq.org
The Bookfair Collective
The Bookfair Collective is a group of individuals who have come together voluntarily to ensure the 2008 Bristol Bookfair takes place. To achieve this we meet regularly at Kebele social centre, and at meetings we make decisions by consensus. We are all active anarchists with involvement in a variety of campaigns and activities, and helping this Bookfair happen is an extension of those activities.We are not leaders however. Our role is largely administrative - sorting a venue, booking stalls & workshops, providing publicity, raising funds and helping the Bookfair run smoothly on the day. Any anarchist who wants to help facilitate the Bookfair is welcome to attend our meetings, but be aware they are busy meetings with lots to do! If you want to help without attending meetings there is plenty you can do - distribute publicity, raise funds (put on a benefit event), run a stall or workshop, volunteer at the Bookfair cafe, help set up and take down on the day. Just do it, or contact us for more info.
Whilst we will do our best to provide the physical structure for the Bookfair, and a smooth-running event on the day, without your participation dear reader, the Bookfair is nothing.
Funding the Bookfair
The money to put on the Bookfair is raised by the Bookfair Collective. We estimate the costs to be between £800.00 and £1000.00, which we will raise in the following ways:- - holding benefit gigs and events. There are 4 benefit gigs lined up before the Bookfair, and we hope there will be 1 or more social events on the night of the Bookfair (any takers for organising one?).
- - charging stallholders a small amount (£5 or £10 per table).
- - receiving donations from supporters now, and on the day of the Bookfair. Thanks to the Bristle Collective (publishers of the dormant Bristle mag) for their 'start-up' donation!
- - the all day Bookfair cafe which is being run by the Kebele cafe collective. Any money made by the cafe will be split between the Bookfair Collective and the Cafe Collective.
Nobody involved in the Bookfair is paid money in any way. Any monies leftover after this years Bookfair will be retained to kick-start the next one.
If you feel motivated to support the Bookfair financially, then thanks! You can send us cheques made payable to 'Bristle', or drop off well-concealed cash, to the Bookfair Collective, c/o 14 Robertson Rd, Easton, Bristol BS5 6JY