Calendars are rapidly filling up, but there should always be time to hang out with comrades, peruse the latest political literature and scheme over a coffee …
With the ever-early Derry Radical Bookfair having successfully concluded its ninth outing on February 1st, Cardiff doing well in March and two more events happening this weekend it’s probably high time to get listing on all the other events set to happen this year. It’s shorter at the moment than the number of 2024 bookfairs, mainly because several regulars who usually table in the autumn/winter are yet to announce, but we’ll be keeping an eye on things to update the list as we go.
For the sake of easy calendar entries, here’s the list by date:
- (April 26-27: Bristol)
- (April 27: Cambridge)
- (May 10: Middlesborough)
- (June 7: Newcastle)
- (August 9: Hull)
- September 20: Dorset
- September 20: London
- September (date TBA): Belfast
- October 18: Peterborough
- October 26: Sheffield
- November 1: Bristol
- November 8: Manchester
- November 22: Swansea
Note: All details are subject to change, last updated June 5th. Let us know via editor [at] freedompress.org.uk if so, or if you want an anarchist bookfair in Britain or Ireland adding to the list!
Belfast
Belfast Radical Bookfair
September, details TBA
Website | Facebook | [email protected]
More to follow, but the organisers say it’s happening this year and handily, that fills a gap so only July is currently bereft of some sort of bookish shindig between now and the festive season.
Bristol
Bristol Radical History Festival
April 26th-27th at the M-Shed& CubeMicroplex
10am-4.30pm
Website | Facebook | brh [at] brh.org.uk
The festival is held over two days at two main venues: Saturday 26th April at Bristol’s social history museum on the city’s historic harbourside, M Shed; and, Sunday 27th April at volunteer-run arts centre and cinema Cube Microplex. The event includes history talks, walks, exhibitions, stalls, film screenings and a pre-festival trip to the Bristol Archives. Programme of events.
Bristol Radical Bookfair
November 1
11am at the Elmgrove Centre
Website | Facebook | bristolbookfair [at] riseup.net
Workshops, Trainings, Books, zines, Stickers, Campaigns, Food, Drink, Kids space, plots, plans and more than a little anarchy. More details TBA.
Cambridge
Cambridge Radical Bookfair
April 27th at East Barnwell Community Centre
12pm-4pm
Instagram | [email protected]
Stalls, talks, workshops and food. The ethos of this bookfair is “to mark the new and expanding phase in the growth of radical ideas and concepts, and their expression in literature, politics, music, art, and social life.”
Dorset
Dorset Radical Bookfair
September 20th at Vita Nova
Website | Facebook
The collective has been struggling a bit with venues and funding, but is now confirmed to be happening. More to follow …
Hull
3rd Hull Radical Bookfair
August 9th at Danish Church
11am-4.30pm
Facebook
Small but perfectly formed featuring a dozen or so stalls, with a special screening on the Spycops scandal.
London
Anarchist Bookfair in London
September 20th
10am-6pm Leake Street Tunnels, Waterloo
Website | Facebook | Bluesky | Mastodon | anarchistbookfairlondon [at] riseup.net
The Waterloo Graffiti Tunnel is a spacious venue and if anything a bit thematically on the nose – all systems go!
Manchester
Manchester and Salford Anarchist Bookfair
November 8th
10am-4pm at the People’s History Museum
Website | Facebook | Instagram | [email protected]
More on stalls and talks to follow …
Middlesborough
Teesside Radical Bookfair
May 10th
12pm-6pm at the Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough
Website | Facebook | teessideradicalbookfair [at] inventati.org
A festival of solidarity and radical ideas, featuring stalls, info, workshops, films and an afterparty.
Newcastle
Newcastle Ewan Brown Anarchist Bookfair
June 7th
10am-5pm at the Star and Shadow Cinema
Website | Facebook | Contact: newcastleanarchistbookfair [at] protonmail.com
Something of a fixture in the calendar by now, and well organised at a cracking venue with a full cinema for radical films, there will be around 20 stalls, and workshops on a theme of ‘Creative Flow’ – writing, speaking, using your mind and your hands to change the world around you – followed by the usual stonking afterparty. See website for full details.
Peterborough
Peterborough Radical Bookfair
October 18th
11am-4pm at the George Alcock Centre, Stanground, Peterborough
Facebook
The older of the two Cambridgeshire showings alongside newcomers Cambridge, Peterborough is in a very nice community hall on the edge of town, lending it a more local vibe than you sometimes get with town centre stuff. Stalls, talks and grub.
Swansea
Gŵyl y Gwrthsafiad Radical Community Festival
October 18th
11am-5pm at the Elysium Gallery, Swansea
Website | Instagram
The Festival was previously held in 2022 and 2023, and it is returning this year. The venue is less than 2 minutes walk from the train station. There will be vegan food (pay as you feel) on the day and a kids space. The festival will be followed by an afterparty.
Nothing Announced (yet) …
- Edinburgh Radical Bookfair: Lighthouse Books often puts something on in the autumn, nothing announced yet though
- Glasgow Radical Bookfair: Usually a December affair, so still a bit early for details
- Liverpool Anarchist Bookfair: Their socials have gone a bit quiet, nothing announced yet but we’ve contacted them to have an ask and the last one seemed to have a bit of momentum