The Benefit of the Doubt, Saturday 20th September.

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Get tickets here.

Hawkeye and the analog crew have sorted out problems with the venue so we’re back as planned at The Underground in Boscombe, the pedestrian precinct, opposite the Tardis.  560 Christchurch rd BH1 4BH There will be signs up on the day.

We’ve booked five acts: singer songwriters Millie Watson and Shaun Gary Palmer, Two new bands: Hitmarka and Hissy Fist and local favourites Gutter rats. With roots reggae tunes from guest D.J. Ranking T.

Doors 19:00, £10 entry

Thanks also to Luke at the Commodore Hotel for offering us a viable alternative. They’ve got a nice little function room so hopefully we’ll put on an event there sometime soon.

The main event, Dorset Radical Bookfair 2025 is on Saturday 20th September at Vita Nova Arts Charity, 11 Roumelia Lane Boscombe BH5 1EU. 10:30 – 17:00

 

 

Invitation to Dorset Radical Bookfair 2025

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Dorset’s Sixth Radical Bookfair will take place on Saturday 20th September 2025 at Vita Nova Arts Charity, 11 Roumelia Lane Boscombe Bournemouth BH5 1EU. Unfortunately it’s an old building and they’ve been unable to provide wheelchair access to the upstairs, where the toilets are. We apologise for this.

Set up is from 09:30, open to the public 10:30, close at 17:00, we must clear site by 18:00.

Vita Nova works with people in recovery from addiction, so no alcohol or substances at the venue please.

Our e-mail for enquiries: dorsetbookfair@riseup.net
Our website: https://dorsetbookfair.wordpress.com

Stalls

We’re full up now for stalls but still have space for a couple more talks. Please send us a brief description of what you’d like to do, anything you would need, and a summary for the programme.

Other facilities

We aim to provide vegan food, snacks and drinks for donations. There will be a kids’ area – supervised play not crèche, guardians to remain in sight of their charges. Toilets are gender neutral. There are no parking spaces at the venue, so after drop-off we’ll direct you to the nearest public parking.

Afterparty with live music, we’ve got two new bands and some local favourites; check website for details.

We ask participants to endorse our statement of common principles:

We want everyone attending this event to feel safe, comfortable and included. We reject hierarchy and coercion, we do not use or tolerate oppressive language: ableism, homophobia, racism, transphobia, sexism, snobbery or otherwise. We do not make excuses for sexual abuse or authoritarian regimes. We respect each other’s boundaries. We may ask people to modify their behaviour or take it elsewhere.

Payment

Payment can be made by bank transfer to: ‘Dorset Bookfair’, Account number 84669314, Sort code 51-81-18,

Cheque  payable to ‘Dorset Bookfair’, to: Dorset Bookfair Collective, Flat 43, St Mary’s Court, 59 Belle Vue Rd, Bournemouth, Dorset BH6 3DF.

Booking form for stalls and meetings (pdf)

Booking form for stalls and meetings (doc)

IWW Book Recommendation: ‘The Precarious Migrant Worker: Socialisation of Precarity’

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The IWW welcomes the release of an important new book by union member and organiser, Panos Theodoropoulos. Within ‘The Precarious Migrant Worker: Socialisation of Precarity’ Panos shares both their personal experiences, as well the voices of many other migrant workers, in Glasgow’s warehouses, factories and kitchens.

The book offers a unique view into the precarious lives of precarious workers within the neo-liberal landscape of modern Britain. Panos digs deeply and critically into a terrain of ideological dispossession within capitalist modernity to understand the challenges faced by individuals and their communities, largely abandoned by trade unions and politicians.

The book tries to identify what has been lost by the labour movement withdrawing from the lives of precarious workers, the harmful effects of individualist mentalities towards work, and the possibilities for new forms of resistance and social connection to emerge.

This text can be a difficult read at times, not due to any academic elitism, but to the contrary because it expresses so clearly the scars of capitalism on real people’s lives.

Several IWW members have recently spoken at launch events for the book, including in Glasgow and London. These events have drawn crowds interested not only in using this academic research to better understand the frontlines of migrant organising but to find ways to get involved in changing these conditions.

This is a strong conclusion that you will be pushed towards by reading ‘The Precarious Migrant Worker’.

It is a call to action. An invitation to the radical labour movement to occupy the spaces that have been abandoned and for both organisers and precarious workers themselves to rediscover a class identity and social struggle that has always existed below the surface.

If you are a union member then this book is highly recommended by the IWW Organising Department.

You can order the book from Polity Press here.

Help the London Anarchist Bookfair.

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Anarchist Bookfair in London 2023

The bookfair really needs some help. We’ve just been told that Rich Mix won’t be able to host this year’s London Anarchist Bookfair. This has really thrown a spanner in the works, as we had previously been told they could host us for 2025.

We’re now looking for a new venue for Saturday 11 October 2025 — ideally one place big enough for stalls, workshops, and full of radical energy (or at least not hostile to it). If you know a space — accessible, affordable, open to anarchist organising — get in touch. We’d also consider moving to another date in Sep, Oct or Nov if it meant we could find an appropriate venue.

The other issue is, we’re completely broke! Richmix were able to offer us the space for a much reduced community rate, and we really need to raise as much money as we can cover the cost of a new venue.

As you’re probably aware, the Bookfair is run entirely by volunteers. No corporate funding. No state grants. Just people power. That means venue costs, insurance, accessibility, and logistics all come from donations and mutual aid.

If you can help us cover costs — financially or by helping us secure a sympathetic space or a source of funds — now’s the time. Drop us a line if you have any leads.

Please forward this message on to others who might be able to help.

Let’s keep the Bookfair free, radical, and alive.

anarchistbookfairlondon@riseup.net

WARSAW INDEPENDENT BOOKFAIR September 2025

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‘The more you know, the better you act’.

We would like to invite you to the 9th edition of Warsaw Independent Bookfair, which will take place in Warsaw on 6-7.09.2025

Warsaw Independent Bookfair 2025 is a space for free thought and culture, a tool for opposing the silent censorship, monopolisation and capitalist restrictions of the book market. We act to support authors and creators who reject commercial compromises, defend the autonomy of their messages and build alternative models of distribution and collaboration. The event is open to all people who believe in the value of self-organisation, grassroots solidarity and anarchist ideas as a world-changing force. In the past years we have discussed a lot about these emerging issues. We recognise that their solution requires global awareness, solidarity between creators and readers, and support for independent cultural initiatives. As we have done in recent years, we want not only to deepen our discussions and critiques, but also to develop solutions. We invite you to actively participate in the event.

Declare manifestos!
Meet and discuss!
Present new solutions!
Be creative and imaginative!
We are open to your suggestions!

The event will be accompanied by meetings (also online) to discuss topics currently preoccupying independent publishers and grassroots initiatives that fit in with the idea of the ninth Independent Bookfair. It is open to an equality message that includes the voice of the excluded. It is a space to share our experiences together, learn from each other, respectfully discuss alternatives and take a critical look at contemporary reality.

The previous fair was attended by publishers, collectives and individuals representing a variety of backgrounds from both Poland and abroad. The event also attracted quite a few book lovers and we hope that this year will be similar.

Our distinctive feature is also that we do not charge for a stand. If you really want to come and the only obstacle for you is finances, write to us – we will try to work something out together. The fair is free for visitors.

As we have a limited number of stands, we ask you to register in advance. We are waiting for applications until 1 June 2025 at warsawbookfair@riseup.net. You can send any collaboration proposals, questions and comments about the event to the same email address.

We look forward to hearing from you!
The Warsaw Independent Bookfair Collective
www: warsawbookfair.noblogs.org
twitter: twitter.com/WarsawBookfair
facebook: facebook.com/warsawbookfair
ENG instagram: @warsaw_independent_bookfair
h2. Topics: #Internationalism, #Multiculturalism, #Migration, #Diaspora,
#Antimilitarism, #Borders, #MutualAid, #Self-organisation, #Literature,
#Culture.