Anarchism Archives - Bristol Radical History Group

Newport Radical Bookfair and Chartist Convention 2025

Free entry radical book fair featuring stalls, book sales, zines, print and stickers plus workshops and talks. More information here. Bristol Radical History Group will have a bookstall at this event. And at the same venue, same day....the excellent.... Tickets for the Chartist Convention are £15 (includes tea and coffee) and require booking. More information and booking here.

Bristol Anarchist Bookfair 2025

Is the rise of the far right, war, authoritarianism, ecological meltdown and the general omnicrisis getting you down? Looking for co-conspirators, some manageable ways to engage with it all, or just some hope? You need the legend that is: the full scale Bristol Anarchist Bookfair, back after a 5 year break in a big new venue. There will be an amazing range of Bristol campaigns across 50 different stalls. Come browse for the crew and the project that suits you best, or that mate you haven’t seen […]

Dorset Radical Bookfair

The 6th Dorset Radical Bookfair is on Saturday 20th September at Vita Nova Arts Charity, 11 Roumelia Lane Boscombe BH5 1EU. BRHG will be running a bookstall and providing a talk on the anatomy of last years' anti-immigration riots with case studies of Bristol, Stoke and Tamworth. Come along for stalls offering books, zines, pamphlets, periodicals, clothing, art. Talks, discussion, vegan food, kid's area, gender neutral bogs. There's also the afterparty at Analog! We’ve booked five acts: singer […]

Plotlands of Shepperton

A reading by Stefan Szczelkun

Stefan Szczelkun will read from his book Plotlands of Shepperton - a unique artist’s book on a massively under-researched area of the history of housing, soon to be re-released in large format. Szczelkun's commentary on Britain's plotlands reveals the houses to be haunted by their radical history. Do they contain a key to the ‘housing problem’ that the establishment dare not countenance? Following his reading, Stefan will discuss this and more in conversation with BRHG's Paul Smith.

Bristol (mini) Anarchist Bookfair

At The Exchange on Sunday 24th November

The Bristol Anarchist Bookfair Collective (BABC) has been reformed after a hiatus of several years. They return with this mini-Bookfair event at The Exchange, 72-73 Old Market Street, Bristol BS2 0EJ, from 10.30 to 3.30pm...and are promising a mega-Bookfair in 2025. BRHG's book stall will be out and about at The Exchange - so come by and say hello! From the FB Event, the Collective state: Inspired by Active Distro's Radical Bookfairs we're hosting an event at Exchange this winter. A chance to […]

The radical face of Bedminster in the early 20th Century

Meet: 2.00pm Dark Horse pub (formerly the Rope Walk) – 5 Nelson Parade, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 4JA Come with us on a journey through time and space in Bedminster, Victoria Park and Windmill Hill… This two hour history walk uncovers the radical political groups and individuals active in Bedminster in the pre-WWI and post-war periods, the strikes and trade union actions of the growing labour movement and how these networks of activists combined to resist the war. We also look at the changing […]

Bristol Heroes – Volunteer Fighters in the Spanish Civil War 1936-39

The Spanish Civil War was an important pre-cursor to the Second World War, pitting republicans and revolutionaries against an emerging military dictatorship in Spain and their fascist allies in Mussolini's Italy and Hitler's Germany. After a fascist inspired military coup, led by General Franco in July 1936, was halted in its tracks by the armed action of the Spanish working class, the battlelines were drawn for three years of bloody conflict. Volunteers from all over the world went to Spain to […]

Fighting Women: Interviews with veterans of the Spanish Civil War

Isabella Lorusso author of Fighting Women: Interviews with veterans of the Spanish Civil War will be speaking about her collection of interviews from the 1990s with women veterans of the fight against fascism in Spain in the 1930s. Fighting women is a choral book, a set of interviews conducted with Spanish women who took part in the civil war. Some took up arms and fought on the front, others joined the POUM, Free Women or different anarchist groups. They all fought against Francoism and for the […]

Opening the Archives

Reference Library makes available documents for the Bristol Radical History Festival

We are thrilled to be collaborating with the Bristol Reference Library for an opening the archives event on Saturday 13th April. There will be a choice selection of books and documents on display to view and peruse, complementing the themes of the forthcoming Bristol Radical History Festival. As the public library service built up its international affairs collection during the mid-1930s, interest in the Spanish Civil War was foremost. Historic items reflecting perspectives from both […]

Fighting Women: Interviews with veterans of the Spanish Civil War

BRHG are very pleased to invite Isabella Lorusso to speak about her book at International Women's Day in Bristol. Saturday March 2nd - 15:30-16:15 - Lady Mayor's Parlour, City Hall Fighting women is a choral book, a set of interviews conducted with Spanish women who took part in the civil war. Some took up arms and fought on the front, others joined the POUM, Free Women or different anarchist groups. They all fought against Francoism and for the emancipation of women, and together they achieved […]