21st annual Anarchist Bookfair emphasizes power of community in Victoria

The 21st annual Victoria Anarchist Bookfair is coming to town this month and plans to make the occasion special with some unique events. 

The event will take place in the Fernwood Community Centre at 1240 Gladstone Avenue from Saturday, September 19th to Sunday, September 20th. 

Organized by a collective, the Anarchist Bookfair aims to draw participants from local, regional and even international origin, as many anarchists do not recognize borders.

At the event, attendees will celebrate the “beautiful idea” of anarchism, which organizers describe as the free relating of beings in a social way without authority. 

In the gymnasium of the Fernwood Community Centre there will be several vendors organized into three categories: books and zines, artisans and community organizations. 

Local Quadra Village book shop Camas Books will be back this year with an expanded selection as they will be selling for American writers and booksellers. 

Another highlight includes American zine and book distribution outfit Historical Seditions of Left Bank Books. 

Night Forest Press and Electromagnetic Print, respectively from Gabriola and Salt Spring Islands, will also be on site with their offerings. 

As for artisans, Eldritch Moss Arts, a two-spirited Indigenous maker of traditional art and wearable art, such as patches and clothes is a newcomer to the bookfair, along with Left of Lilith, a collective of three whose table will feature handmade jewelry. 

Organizers say this year will have more community groups on hand than ever before with 14 in total. 

Some of these community organizers include Friends of Gitxsan and Gitanyow (FOGG); who are solidarity organizers working with Indigenous folks to stop the PRGT pipeline; BC Casa VI, who are a Guatemalan queer and disabled solidarity group; and Shock Events Vic, a BDSM and sex education group that creates safer spaces for edgeplay and the leather community in Victoria. 

Check out all the vendors, booksellers, artisans and community organizations here. 

This year, the event will have some special programming, which includes live music. 

The Revolutionary Rap Rumpus by the Rhymethink Collective, with special guest PINDN will be performing at Little Fernwood on 1923 Fernwood Road, just around the corner from where the bookfair is taking place. The show will begin at 8 p.m., with admission on a sliding scale between $10 and $20. 

At the main venue, the Anarchist Bookfair will also welcome attendees with an introduction to the territory by Augie Thomas and the Esquimalt Singers and Dancers at 11 a.m. on September 19th. 

“We are honoured Augie and his troupe will be [performing] their songs for us and opening the event with the right spirit,” said organizers in a media release. 

In addition to live music and a plethora of vendors the Anarchist Bookfair will be hosting several workshops., which will be divided into two categories: a talk/presentation or a hands-on/skillshare. 

One workshop organizers want to put a spotlight on is the Water Back and Indigenous Internationalisms: Navigating Geopolitical Landscapes and Life Beyond the State discussion. 

This will take place on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Room 1 at the community centre. In this workshop, the speakers will be defining internationalisms from an Indigenous perspective, predating statist concepts of borders. 

They will also cover the Indigenous history with multiple water ecosystems and will ask the question, “what does ‘water back’ look like?”

See the full workshop itinerary for Saturday and Sunday online.        

The Victoria Anarchist Bookfair emphasizes volunteer power, education, community connection and fun with this annual event. 

Check it out and learn something new!

Victoria Anarchist Bookfair 

• Where: Fernwood Community Centre, 1240 Gladstone Avenue
• When: 
  • Saturday, September 19th from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
  • Sunday, September 20th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.