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
* October 11: London
* October 18: Peterborough
* November 1: Bristol
Note: All details are subject to change. 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!
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BRISTOL
Bristol Radical History Festival
April 26th-27th at the M-Shed & Cube Microplex
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
Details TBA
Website | Facebook | bristolbookfair [at] riseup.net
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CAMBRIDGE
Cambridge Radical Bookfair
April 27th at East Barnwell Community Centre
12pm-4pm
Instagram | cambridgeanarchist@gmail.com
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.”
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HULL
3rd Hull Radical Bookfair
August 9th at Danish Church
11am-4.30pm
Facebook event
Small but perfectly formed featuring a dozen or so stalls, with a special
screening on the Spycops scandal.
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LONDON
Anarchist Bookfair in London
October 11th
Details TBA
Website | Facebook | Bluesky | Mastodon | anarchistbookfairlondon [at]
riseup.net
If the last two years are anything to go by the biggest of the book gatherings
will be spread across Rich Mix, Angel Alley and other places but who knows what
exciting things are in store …
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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.
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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.
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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.
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NOTHING ANNOUNCED (YET) …
* Belfast Radical Bookfair: Nothing confirmed yet but last year they ran a
smaller-scale event at the end of November, so keep an eye out around then.
* Bradford Radical Bookfair: The 2024 outing had been set for September before
being cancelled. Nothing yet for 2025.
* Dorset Radical Bookfair: The ever-excellent organisers of “anarchy in the
sticks” have often had venue trouble but did manage to book The Roastery in
Bournemouth last year. A shortfall in donations (see their website) has been
unhelpful for the 2025 kitty, so it’s unclear whether it’ll be happening this
year, but if it does then October is the usual month to keep an eye out. If
you’re local get in touch to help them keep it going!
* 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
detailsLiverpool 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
* Manchester and Salford: Another one that usually happens later in the year
(November or so), but they had a good showing in 2024
* Sheffield Radical Bookfair: Recently announced they’re unlikely to be able to
manage a bookfair this year, but never fear Shieffielders, there’s plans for
Spring 2026.
The post The 2025 Anarchist Bookfairs List appeared first on Freedom News.