[Belfast] 11th Belfast Anarchist Bookfair

The 11th Belfast Anarchist Bookfair is happening on the 3rd November in Catalyst Arts, Belfast.

Main Hall

12.00 – 1.00 Scattered Internationalists: Irish Anarchism Between the Wars. Morris Brodie.

After the defeat of the anti-Treaty forces in the Irish Civil War, the island of Ireland became a hostile environment for left-wing radicals. Red Scares in the North and the South meant establishing a cohesive movement became increasingly difficult. Irish anarchists sought to overcome this by finding new places to organise, often moving to Britain or the United States in search of work. In the process, they helped to build the anarchist movement in their adopted homelands. This talk examines the activities of Irish anarchists outside of Ireland in the interwar period, including Jack White, Pat Read and Mat Kavanagh, and shows how they contributed to anti-fascism, labour struggles, and revolutionary politics, culminating in their support for their anarchist comrades during the Spanish Civil War.

1.10 – 2.10 Anarchism and Anti-Imperialism. Gabriel Kuhn.

Anti-imperialism is often seen as a Marxist domain. But how have anarchists responded to the brutality of global capital? This talk will provide an overview of historical anarchist positions on imperialism and colonialism, compare them to Marxist perspectives, and discuss the relevance of anti-imperialist struggles for anarchism today.
Gabriel Kuhn is an anarchist activist and writer based in Sweden. Placed on the “No-Fly” list Gabriel has been denied a visa for a 3-month speaking tour in the USA. A member of the revolutionary syndicalist union, the Central Organisation of Workers (SAC), his books and publications include The Anarchist Football Manual, Life Under the Jolly Roger, Sober Living for the Revolution, and Revolution Is More Than a Word: 23 Theses on Anarchism.

2.20 – 3.20 Ireland’s Greatest Revolutionary? The James Connolly Reader. Shaun Harkin.

Shaun Harkin will be speaking about his book “The James Connolly Reader” (released to coincide with the 150th birthday of the man widely considered to be Ireland’s most important revolutionary) and about the man himself. The James Connolly Reader has been described as the most comprehensive collection of Connolly’s writings and speeches available. The book will be available on the day from the Haymarket Press stall at the bookfair and includes an extensive introduction from Shaun. Shaun sees the collection as a contribution to returning Connolly to his “proper place” in Irish and global history, and to inspire today’s activists with his vision of an Ireland and world free from empire, war, and exploitation.

3.30 – 4.30 Mujeres Libres: Anarchist Feminism in Spain. Marta Romero Delgado

Marta Romero Delgado will be sketching an initial socio-historical approximation of anarcho-feminism in Spain from the Mujeres Libres of the 1930s onwards. Marta sees this as the first stage in the development of further in-depth research/fieldwork on anarcho-feminism in the Spanish state.
Marta RD is a sociologist and researcher specialising in the fields of feminism, violence and social movements. Marta has published work such as “Building New Realities: the empowerment of women attending the Chiapas Centre for Women’s Rights (Mexico)”, Jan 2018; “Prison Experiences: Physical, social and symbolic punishment against women of Peruvian armed groups”, Nov 2016, and “Rethinking Violence, Gender and War. Women in the Peruvian armed groups”, April 2013.

4.40 – 5.40 Reclaiming the City Dublin. Activists speak

With momentum growing behind a social movement pitted against slum landlords, corruption, rent hikes, an attack on social housing and endemic homelessness activists from Reclaim the City Dublin will be speaking about the strategies, tactics, and ideas behind their fightback and the successes and problems they have encountered in their struggle.

5.50 – 6.50 Sex Worker Organising: Sex Workers Alliance Ireland

An activist from SWAI will be giving a first-hand account of their work at the 11th Belfast Anarchist Bookfair.
Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) was established in 2009 to promote social inclusion, health, safety, civil rights and the right to self-determination of female, male, cisgender and transgender sex workers. Since it’s formation SWAI has worked tirelessly to promote these ideals and has campaigned for sex workers to be part of decision making which impacts their lives. They believe that sex workers themselves should be at the heart of any conversation on sex work and they campaign against legislation that makes sex workers more vulnerable, disregards their rights and tramples over their interests.

Side Room

1.00-2.00 An Activists Tale: My Walk with Palestine. Book signing and talk with Fra Hughes and Dr. Saeb Shaath.

Join us for a talk by Dr. Saeb Shaath (Khan Younis Gaza) and Fra Hughes (Belfast) on Palestine and the wider regional conflict. Fra will give a short talk on his book My Walk with Palestine an Activists Tale. Photos of Fra’s solidarity work will also be on display Everyone Welcome Book price £9.99.

Stalls: