Freedom News

Anarchist books to bear in mind: Dec 18

Richard Alexander rounds up some of the most interesting new and forthcoming anarchist titles around.

For this brief round-up I’ve only included books that have been advertised as having a price of £30 or less in the paperback edition in the UK. I’ve not put an actual price as that may change between it appearing here and release, and as there is no resale price maintenance on books, if you shop around you can probably get it cheaper than the publisher’s price.

There’s no kindle or other e-books, no  expensive academic hardbacks, etc. Also I’ve kept it to explicit anarchist-related materials. There are a lot of other books that may be of interest but they didn’t make the cut. Arrangement is by publisher.


AK Press will be publishing the fourth volume of Malatesta’s writings soon. This series will be the definitive collection of Malatesta’s writings available in English and contains many previously untranslated  pieces.The newest offering is Errico Malatesta (auth) Davide Turcato (ed) Complete Works of Malatesta Vol IV, Towards Anarchy. Malatesta in America 1899-1900.

Also from AK is a new collection of Hippolyte Havel’s writings. Havel is best known as an associate of Emma Goldman and as a contributor to the anarchist press. Hippolyte Havel (auth) Nathan Jun (ed) Proletarian Days. A Hippolye Havel Reader.

Finally from AK there’s also a new collection of articles by one of the lesser-known Mexican anarchist activists from the revolutionary 1900s, Praxedis G Guerrero, titled I Am  Action: Literary and Combat Articles, Thoughts and Revolutionary Chronicles.


A little further north, Canadian publisher Black Rose Books have announced the forthcoming publication of Costas Despiniadis’s The Anatomist of Power: Franz Kafka and the Critique of  Authority.


Freedom Press have recently reprinted Albert Meltzer The Anarchists in London, 1935-1955, and towards the end of the year also announced two new books by Rob Ray (auth) A Beautiful Idea: History of the Freedom Press Anarchists and Andrew Fraser (auth), Rob Ray (ed) Invisible: A Diary of Rough Sleeping in Britain.


Hedgehog Productions are publishing Gary Miller’s Anarcho Punk Music: The Band’s Story Behind Anarchist Punk Music.


Meanwhile Merlin Press have the first in several volumes planned by A W Zurbrugg. The first is Anarchist Perspectives in Peace and War, 1900-1918.


Minor Compositions have already put Daniel Colson A Little Philosophical Lexicon of Anarchism from Proudhon to Deleuze online, the print edition follows in the New Year. This has already sparked some lively debate.


Peter Lang Publishers have a new work by Anthony J. Nocella + others (eds) all ready to go, Contemporary Anarchist Criminology: Against Authoritarianism and Punishment. It should be interesting reading for anyone concerned with how to take an anarchist approach to working through anti-social behaviour.


PM Press have Erica Lagalisse and Barbara Ehrenreich Occult Features of Anarchism listed as one of their new works. This looks to be a short but intriguing book, which shows how the development of leftist theory and practice within clandestine masculine public spheres continues to inform contemporary anarchist understandings of the ‘political.

They also have a book on Francisco Ferrer edited by Robert H. Howarth, Anarchist Education and the Modern School. A Francisco Ferrer Reader which should be fascinating.

Another reprint is a co-production between PM Press, Freedom Press and Jura Books. It’s Gaston Leval’s classic Collectives in the Spanish Revolution but with the addition of an index, a new introduction and preface.

It has also released a US edition of Why Work? following on from Freedom Press’s 2016 UK edition and is taking on the task of re-publishing Colin Ward’s writing.


Rowman and Littlefield are publishing a lot of books of interest to (some) anarchists at the moment, the latest is edited by Neil Gray, titled Rent and its Discontents. A History of Housing Struggle, which focuses on UK events.


Stockholm University Press are following up volume one of its anarchism and religion analysis title with volume two. Matthew S Adams (auth), Alexandre Christoyannopoulos (ed) Essays in Anarchism and Religion: Volume II.


And finally Zero Books are issuing a book by Jacob Blumenfield entitled All Things Are Nothing To Me: The Unique Philosophy of Max Stirner. Which may be of interest to all memesters out there.

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