Hull’s third Radical Bookfair took place on Saturday 9th August, starting at 11:00 and running through the afternoon. It was organised by the Anarchist Communist Network, with additional stalls from Tyneside Anarchist Archive, Unite Community, Freedom Books (who’d travelled all the way from London!), the Socialist Party and ourselves, the Anarchist Federation. As well as these groups, author Helen Claire Gould also had a stall showcasing her latest fiction releases.

The Danish Seamen’s Church has been the chosen location of the Bookfair for the three years so far. Now with a service only once a year, the Church serves as a community space, conveniently close to the station. Perfectly sized for the still-growing Bookfair, it was a calm and relaxing venue for the radicals to chatter and meet each other.

Helen Claire Gould’s stall was a welcome contrast to the more typical Leftist content. It focused on her duology titled The Zarduth Imperative, dreamed up decades ago and made a reality over the last few years. The science fiction series explores themes of state violence in response to the threat of war and conflict.

Along one side of the room, the AnarCom Network, Tyneside Anarchist Archive and our stall made a row of red and black. The ACN stall had a wide spread of stickers, pamphlets and books, much of the stock focusing on a strong antimilitarist stance and an internationalist focus. I picked up a collection of interviews with Ukrainian anarchist group, Assembly, that I was previously unaware of. I noticed there was also a focus on activism in Hull over past decades, such as the organiser’s personal experience forming the Hull Hunt Sab Group over the 80s. It was a welcome reminder that there is history of radical activism in Hull, even if organising can feel like trying to swim up a waterfall sometimes.

Tyneside Anarchist Archive focused on their newly published magnum opus: Anarchism in North East England 1882-1992. While Hull is just outside of the region covered, it is mentioned! There’s a shared experience across our areas of having radical histories erased and under explored, so it’s good to see meticulous research uncovering this and creating a record.

Our stall had many fantastic stickers, with a spread of magazines: Radon Journal, Lumpen and Organise. This was my first time behind a Bookfair stall and I enjoyed laying out the wares. I did put out bustcards and leaflets of the local anti-raids network, using the chance to spread the word and managed to have a few good conversations about this with visitors.

Throughout the event, we were hearing news of the mass arrests, of hundreds of people including five friends, in London in the demonstration against the proscription of Palestine Action. There was a Fascist demonstration in Bristol that was keeping my comrades occupied there. These protests highlighted the urgency of our organising, although also made me grateful to have an enjoyable event to be attending this weekend.

Building relationships was a valuable outcome of the Bookfair, providing a rare meeting point between local activists and chance to build bridges and plot. This was helped by the variety of groups present; we’re conscious in Hull of the odds we’re fighting against and the importance of allyship. As it is, the ACN organiser of the Bookfair enlisted us and Unite Community to co-organise next year’s, bringing in more hands to help grow the fourth Hull Radical Bookfair.

Hull Radical Bookfair 2026 will take place on Saturday 8th August, location TBC