 | Housmans radical booksellers since 1945 |
PAST EVENTS
APRIL EVENTS
Wedenesday 16th April, 7pm BOOK LAUNCH/TALK:
Final Silence by Ronald Flores, translated from the Spanish-language original by Gavin O’Toole
Exploring the impact of torture, psychological warfare and the Guatemalan civil war, Final Silence is a compelling drama that examines the emotional wounds that blighted a generation.
This book is unique because it is the second of only two Guatemalan novels to have been published in English since 2006, and won the prestigious Mario Monteforte Toledo literary prize open to writers in Central America.
Housmans are delighted to welcome Ronald Flores, who will be flying in from Guatemala especially for the event to talk about the novel and the political situation on Guatemala. Ronald will be joined by the translator Gavin O’Toole.
Reviews and Recommendations
“Último Silencio is a highly intelligent novel that announced the arrival of an important new protagonist on Guatemala’s literary scene.” - Latin American Review of Books
“There is no improvising here - the author narrates well and directs with skilful technical solvency. The result is a powerful work of undoubted contemporary originality.” - Jury, Mario Montefore Toledo Prize, 1999
Publication date: 15 April 2008
Price: £7.50
Extent: 108 pages
ISBN-13: 9780955233920
Paperback
Saturday 19th April, starting at 5 o'clock, Housmans has a book launch for the reprinting of Colin Ward's famous text Anarchy In Action. Colin is one of British anarchism's best-known authors and Housmans will have all six of his books published by Freedom Press plus those published by Five Leaves, plus some others, such as Child in the City and Child in the Country, that have been unavailable for years. (We've managed to find some remaindered stock.) Colin was the editor of the famous magazine Anarchy which appeared every month during the decade of the 1960s, bringing a fresh anarchist perspective on subjects such as housing and education. Anarchy In Action is an attempt to show "that an anarchist society, a society which organises itself without authority, is always in existence, like a seed beneath the snow, buried under the state and its bureaucracy, capitalism and its waste. . . " It is also an introduction to anarchist ideas, a justification of them, and a philosophical way forward. Come and see Colin on the 19th.
Wednesday 23rd April, 7pm Feminist Publishing - past, present, and future. From self-published pamphlets, mags, and zines, via established book publishers like Virago, to publishing on the internet, a panel including Red Chidgey, Gail Chester and Catherine Riley will lead a discussion about where feminist publications have been and where they're going. Come and tell us about your favourite publications, to expand Housmans’ own gender section.
Wednesday 30th April, 7pm What's happening with feminism today? In the last few months there has been the biggest growth in feminist activism in two decades. To discuss this resurgence, we are bringing together a panel of activists including Jess McCabe from the F-Word, Finn Mackay of Reclaim The Night, Laurie Penny of Red Pepper, women from Wominspace (the new squatted women's social centre), Jennifer Drew, and others.
Tuesday 1st April, 7pm book launch
A Clockwork Apple by Belinda Webb
Passionate, angry, funny, emotional and brutally honest… these are the words that describe the fiction of Belinda Webb, one of the most exciting new writers of her generation.
In A Clockwork Apple, she creates an unforgettable vision of a future Manchester, where the gangs roaming the streets are all girls. The State its control through addiction therapy and the blunt administrations of female police and social workers. Men have long since ceased to have any influence.
Using her own powerful and distinctive language, mixing neologisms with plentiful contemporary cultural references, Webb hypnotises the reader with her passion and linguistic wizardry.
"A dazzling new voice bursts through the tired old glass ceiling of English Fiction. Belinda Webb is a writer to watch." - Will Self
see http://beautiful-books.co.uk/210.html
Wednesday 2nd April Torriano Poets For Peace
This Month's evening of poetry and a little music will feature the usual suspects and the odd new face with poetry and song. It will be introduced as always by John Rety. Admission is free but donations are welcome. There will be refreshments.
Friday 11th April, 7pm, Smash EDO Tour 2008
The national Smash EDO Tour 2008 is on - touring the UK (and beyond) and screening On The Verge at every venue. It will give those involved the chance to discuss tactics, get feedback, and organise for the future.
Who are Smash EDO? "We are residents of Brighton who marched against the war. We were sickened to learn that a company in our home town was not only profiting from, but making possible the illegal and immoral slaughter in Iraq. Smash EDO is a grassroots response to EDO's complicity in murderous crimes - a banner under which people opposed to those crimes can rally." See http://www.smashedo.org.uk/aboutus.htm.
Folks from the Smash EDO organisation will be in the shop to discuss the film and related issues. See: http://www.schnews.org.uk/schmovies/index-on-the-verge.htm and http://www.smashedo.org.uk/.
MARCH EVENTS
March 2008 sees a powerful programme of events focussed on the five-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.
Beginning Thursday 20th March, Anne Aylor's Workshop Your Fiction • Course 37
Date: Thursdays, 20 March - 8 May 2008
Time: 6.45PM - 9.15PM
Tube: Kings Cross
Cost: £145 for 8 weeks' tuition. Drop-in: £22 per session
More details here
Saturday 29th March, 5pm
Film screening: double bill - Those Who Dance & The Carbon Connection
Those Who Dance (50mins) tells the story of a small community in Rossport, Co. Mayo, Ireland, who have resisted Shell's attempts to construct a high pressure gas pipeline and refinery across their land, which would have potentially devastating environmental and social consequences. The film compares their situation to that of the Ogoni people of the Niger Delta, where Ken Saro-Wiwa and nine others were murdered in 1996 because of their non-violent opposition to Shell's oil extraction operations and gas flaring.
Shell found in the people of Mayo a culture which speaks of community not commodity, of interaction not extraction. The film offers a powerful critique of corporate practice and philosophy, and challenges viewers to consider the impacts of the oil industry throughout the world, now that the reality of climate change is widely accepted.
The Carbon Connection (40mins) is a new documentary examining the impact of carbon trading. It follows the story of two groups of people from two communities affected by one new global market – the trade in carbon dioxide. In Scotland a town has been polluted by oil and chemical companies since the 1940s. In Brazil local people's water and land is being swallowed up by destructive monoculture eucalyptus tree plantations. Both communities now share a new threat.
Each community learned to use video cameras and made their own films about living with the impacts of the carbon market. From mental health issues in Scotland to the loss of medicinal plants in Brazil, the communities discover the connections they have with each other and the film follows them on this journey.
Monday 31st March, 7pm
Quand nous chanterons le temps des cerises - Nick Heath will be presenting an evening of French Chanson (lyrical songs)
A look at the tradition of chanson in France –
From the goguettes to chanson realiste. With an overview of the contribution of anarchism to chanson.
Illustrated with recordings from Aristide Bruant to Gaston Couté, Ferré, Brassens and Serge Utgé-Royo
Time for questions and discussion.
Wednesday 26th March, 7pm
A decade of suffering: Iraq in wood engravings - with Emily Johns in conjunction with Voices in the Wilderness UK
Artist, campaigner and Peace News co-editor, Emily Johns, will be presenting a collection of prints that tell the story of ten years of suffering in Iraq – first as a result of the devastating sanctions, and then the subsequent disastrous invasion. These images have been printed up as affordable posters, and will be available to buy, with all proceeds going to the Iraqi campaigning group Voices in the Wilderness UK.
As well as explaining the stories behind the images, Ms Johns will be signing prints of her work.
Wednesday 27th February, 7pm
Torriano Poets for Peace
The long running, and ever brilliant, Torriano Poets for Peace return to Housmans for a night of the very best in peace poetry. This month’s contributions include songs from Eric Levy and John P Kenton and poetry from Robert Ilson and Recker Donnelly, plus many more. As ever, the evening’s readings will be introduced by the irrepressible John Rety. All poets and singers welcome, or just come along to listen.
Wednesday 5th March, 7pm
We nearly won: how the anti-war movements nearly stopped the invasion of Iraq - with Milan Rai
Milan Rai has been instrumental in organising the anti-war effort in the lead up to this most recent invasion of Iraq, and he will be sharing his thoughts regarding the efforts that took place to stop the war, as well as considering lessons learnt from the experience.
Milan Rai is the coordinator of Justice Not Vengeance, co-editor of Peace News and amongst his published works he has authored two books on the subject of the Iraq War: War Plan Iraq and Regime Unchanged.
Saturday 8th March, 5pm
Extraordinary Renditions – with Lucy Edkins
Lucy Edkins has produced a powerful series of acrylic works based on the US army’s cynical policy of ‘extraordinary rendition’: the illegal practice of imprisoning suspects indefinitely, without charge and without trial, often at hidden sites beyond the reach of international law. Housmans will be displaying works from her Belmarsh and Guantánamo series. Ms Edkins will be present to discuss her work in person. See www.lucyedkins.com.
Monday 10th March 7pm
Screening of "Route Irish"
"Route Irish", a feature length verité/essay film on the campaign(s) against Irish facilitation of the US/UK Invasion of Iraq.
It may surprise many that a majority of US Troops travel through Ireland on the way to Iraq - in spite of Ireland's own constitution and tradition of neutrality and non-alignment.
This Indymedia Ireland/Revolt Video film documents the emergence of the Irish antiwar movement between 2002 and 2006 and of the broad popular opposition to the US military use of Ireland's civilian Shannon Airport in the build-up to, invasion of, and occupation of Iraq.
The documentary follows a loose network of activist groups, individuals and politicians through the story of the rise, fracturing, sudden decline and then disappearance of this movement and then retraces the way in which their combined efforts, energies and strategies served to effectively tear away the Republic of Ireland's veneer of neutrality and non-alignment in the post September 11th era of the "War on Terror".
www.indymedia.ie/routeirish
Wednesday 12th March, 7pm
Corporate mercenaries in Iraq: War on Want exposé on the private armies making a killing - with Ruth Tanner
Ruth Tanner, campaigner from War on Want, will be presenting the latest information on private military contractors, who now outnumber British troops in Iraq by three to one, making them the second largest occupying force in Iraq behind the US. Yet they remain unregulated and unaccountable, leaving open the potential for human rights violations. Despite a number of reported cases of abuse, no private military contractor has ever been prosecuted for actions in Iraq. The pattern is similar in conflicts around the world.
Saturday 15th March, 6.30pm
Book launch: Unleashing the Collective Phantoms: Essays In Reverse Imagineering, by Brian Holmes
Come join us to celebrate the release of Brian Holmes' new book Unleashing the Collective Phantoms. These insurgent essays describe, prolong and critique some of the cultural and artistic projects that arose with the worldwide wave of protests around the turn of the millenium, against what the global South calls neoliberalism. Dissent and the refusal of a programmed existence continually return to the streets; but they also unfold in the imagination.
Sponsored by Autonomedia (www.autonomedia.org) and Mute Magazine (www.metamute.org).
Wednesday 19th March, 7pm
City of Widows: An Iraqi Woman's Account of War and Resistance - with Haifa Zangana
Haifa Zangana, a former political prisoner of the Ba'ath regime, is the first writer to put the plight of Iraqi women in context. She traces a long line of daring and vocal activists, resisting foreign aggression and despotism for the past 100 years, from a handful of turn of the century poets to 1960s activists in armed struggle and the suicide bombers of today.
Addressing the stark reality of Iraq under occupation, Zangana reveals Baghdad as a city of widows, where more than 300 000 women, their regular lives destroyed, have been left to head households. Ms Zangana will give a presentation on the subject, followed by a question and answer session, and will also be signing copies of the book.
Wednesday 13 February, 7pm: UK launch of Metro by Alasdair Duncan, a cult classic amongst Australia's young gay community.
The author will be discussing identity issues young people face when trying to break away from the 'norm' and enjoy their sexuality.
Is there anything morally wrong with teenage experimentation? Shouldn't we let young people have fun, make mistakes and work out for themselves what they want?
Morality is a low priority in Metro; a good-looking young man can sleep with any boy he fancies while his girlfriend is away - because he is attractive.
An evening of young Australian vibrancy, with a twist of debate as Duncan invites Londoners to comment on and criticise his support of selfish sex, and infidelity. Book signing also available.
Tuesday 19 February 7pm Angolan author Ondjaki to launch his latest book in UK
Aflame Books takes the pleasure in inviting you to meet Ondjaki, the author of the inspiring Angolan novel The Whistler, at the launch of the book in London.
On a short visit to the UK to participate in a lecture tour at Kings College London, Ondjaki will also be promoting the latest of his works to be made available in English.
The Whistler is a spellbinding, irreverent and hilarious masterpiece from Angola. The Whistler, is a triumph of joy over adversity in a country ravaged by sorrow.
It offers a vision of hope and humanity to a people suffering the painful after-effects of the civil war that traumatised the author's homeland.
The launch of The Whistler will be attended by David Brookshaw of the University of Bristol's Portuguese department who will highlight Ondjaki's place in contemporary African writing.
The Whistler, translated from the Portuguese-language original, will be launched on February 19 2008 at
Housmans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road London, N1 9DX - just round the corner from Kings Cross station.
The event starts at 7pm. Refreshments will be served.
For more info or if you wish to attend the launch please email: info@aflamebooks.com
Saturday 23rd February 1pm, War on Terror The Boardgame in-store gaming session. See: www.waronterrortheboardgame.com and; www.waronterrortheboardgame.com/wotblog/index.php?id=132&preview=t
Wednesday 30 January, 7pm Defying the logic of the (publishing) market: Ohms Law and the <1% series
In a publishing world geared to selling, terra incognita (ti) have launched the <1% series, an imprint of fiction not aimed at mass markets. Working against trends in publishing, ti are printing high quality, innovative literary work in small runs, distributed solely through independent book stores.
On 30 January 2008 at Housmans, Juliette Brown, editor at terra incognita, will talk about defying the current logic within publishing, returning the focus to the work rather than the sales potential. This is not about limited market appeal. It's about challenging the notion that the best seller is the best work. At ti, the feeling is that the mass market tends to homogeneity and conformity, and by ignoring the demands of the market, it becomes possible to support a range of more challenging voices.
The event features a reading by the author, Alana Jelinek, of Ohm's Law, the first title in the <1% series. The novel has been called 'compelling', and Jelinek is said to have 'an acute sense for the subtleties of power'. Ohms Law takes place in a not too distant future in which the 'meta-corporation' has taken the place of the nation state. In turn funny and disturbing, Ohms Law asks at what point we might begin to assume responsibility for the world we find ourselves in.
"This deceptively simple tale unfolds and expands to illuminate the depths of our corporate nightmare"
See http://www.ti3.org.uk/ohms_law.htm for a review of Ohm's Law by Sebastian Michael.
Saturday 2 February 5pm, Launch of Birds, Booze and Bulldozers, a novel by Peter Styles
"Can you save the planet with a bicycle lock? Maybe. Birds, Booze and Bulldozers is the inside story of Britain's environmental direct action movement - the most effective political counter-culture of the 1990s.
More at home with a ball at his feet and a pint in his hand, Lester Stype is drawn into becoming an activist to help save the downland of his youth. The action follows Lester and his fellow 'dozer divers up cranes, down bunkers and through long, cold winters in an attempt to stand up for what we stand upon. A motley band of protestors trying to find the balance between protecting life and having one, as their actions change policy, society and ultimately themselves.
Youthful passion clashes against the colossal power of big business and the state over issues as diverse as live animal exports, rainforest timber and the arms trade."
Peter Styles was a full-time environmental activist for much of the 1990s. Deeply involved in a variety of campaigns, he was one of the first to be charged under the 1994 Criminal Justice Act and was jailed for his part in the Newbury bypass protests. He then spent several years covering the movement for the underground and mainstream press. Now living in Brighton, he has kept penury at bay with subsequent careers as a journalist, lecturer and comedy writer.
7th February, 2008 from 6.30pm to 7.30pm
Book launch: Confuse and Conceal: The NHS and Independent Sector Treatment Centres
BY STEWART PLAYER AND COLIN LEYS
PBK ISBN 978 0 85036 609 9 £10.95
"This is the first detailed analysis we have of the evolution, make-up and implications of independent treatment centres. What the book gives us is not only the story of a critical moment in the restructuring of the NHS but also a story of the persistent reluctance of the authorities to disclose information the public should be fully entitled to. The book should be read by anyone interested in holding our policy-makers to account." Sally Ruane, Health Policy Research Unit, De Montfort University
"For anyone still not convinced that the NHS is being broken up and privatised, this detailed study provides the evidence. It will be an invaluable guide and reference work in the struggle to preserve one of our greatest assets"
Peter Fisher, President, NHS Consultants' Association with PROF COLIN LEYS & DR WENDY SAVAGE
Loren Goldner's talks at Housmans, hosted by Mute Magazine
Saturday 19 January, 6pm From Mass Strike to Casualization and Retreat: The Korean Working Class, 1987-2007
Monday 21 January, 7pm Class Strugle and the Academic Imagination in Herman Melville
About Loren Goldner: Loren Goldner is a writer and activist who divides his time between New York and Seoul, South Korea. He has written on various economic, political and cultural matters over the past three decades. He is currently writing a book on the Korean working class. Most of his work is available on the Break Their Haughty Power web site at http://home.earththink.net/~lrgolner.
Wednesday 23 January, 7pm Torriano Poets for Peace
Wednesday 5 December 7pm, Nicola Hill, author of 'A Very Pink Wedding; a Gay Guide to Planning your Perfect Day' will be giving a talk and signing copies of the book in Housmans at 7pm. Drinks and snacks provided.
Monday 10 December 7pm, David Goodway and Five Leaves Publications have the pleasure of inviting you to the launch of 'The Anarchist Past and Other Essays' by Nicolas Walter. Nicolas Walter was a key figure in the anarchist and free-thought movements for forty years. This long-awaited collection largely covers anarchist history, especially in Russia, coming up to date with essays on the "Spies for Peace" and Colin Ward and Murray Bookchin. Drinks and snacks provided.
Tuesday 11 December - 6.30pm for 7pm
TORRIANO POETS FOR PEACE at Housmans Bookshop (5 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, London N1) present... June English, Robert Ilson, John P Kenton, Johannes Kerkhoven ... and all introduced by the irrepressible John Rety!
Wednesday 12 December - 7pm, 'Black Flag' Magazine Re-Launch, with Ian McKay the evening will include a brief introduction to the history of the magazine, and the anarchist symbol itself, followed by a discussion inviting comments and suggestions for the new version.
HOUSMANS WINTER PARTY! SATURDAY DECEMBER 15;JOIN US FROM MID-AFTERNOON FOR DRINKS, SNACKS, GREAT MUSIC AND COMPANY. SCHEDULED TO END LATE! THE DRAW FOR HOUSMANS RAFFLE WILL TAKE PLACE DURING THE PARTY, WITH MANY PRIZES INCLUDING A SIGNED PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPH OF TONY BENN AND SIGNED BOOKS.
Anne Aylor's Creative Writing Courses
46 Beversbrook Road
London N19 4QH
tel: 0207 263 0669
email: anne@anneaylor.co.uk
web: www.anneaylor.co.uk
Workshop Your Fiction • Course 32
4 October - 13 December 2007 @ Housman's Bookshop, London, N1
WORKSHOP VENUE
Housman's Bookshop
5 Caledonian Road
London N1 9DX
Date: Thursdays, 4 October - 13 December 2007
Time: 6.45PM - 9.15PM
Tube: Kings Cross
Cost: £198 for 11 weeks' tuition
TO undertake a novel is a long, often lonely, experience. Many people begin a book only to lose momentum. This workshop is an opportunity for those working on novels or short stories to receive constructive feedback, inspiration and a deadline.
This short course will consist of readings and discussions of your work-in-progress. Sessions will include:
• techniques to develop your novel or short story
• advice on how to arrange and expand your material
• help if you've hit a block
• a chance to create work that feeds into your manuscript
• the opportunity to have writing read and discussed
• learning how to edit to become a more objective critic of your own work
REQUIREMENT TO JOIN
It is not necessary to have written before, but because this workshop will be generated by the work students produce, you must be committed to bringing work for discussion. Constructive feedback and a weekly deadline will encourage you to steam ahead with your prose.
FEEDBACK
To receive the best feedback, you'll need to bring photocopies of the excerpts you are reading. These will be marked up and returned to you. Maximum number of words per person at each session: 1300 - 1400 words
TO BOOK
By post: Enrolment will be confirmed on receipt of your £60 deposit. Payment in full is due by 27 September. Download a brochure for a booking form and information on where to send your cheque. Online: To pay by credit/debit card, you will need to pay the full amount. Course fee: £198
CONTACT DETAILS
Anne Aylor's Creative Writing Courses
T: 020 7263 0669
M: 07951 579 064
E: admin@anneaylor.co.uk
W: www.anneaylor.co.uk
Click/paste for more info: www.anneaylor.co.uk/WorkshopYourFictionAutumn.htm
WEDNESDAYS @ HOUSMANS - NOVEMBER 2007
Wednesday 7th November 7pm:
Kings Cross Residents Open Forum - chaired by Will Perrin
Will Perrin, of the local campaign website, King's Cross Environment, invites you to join him
in an open discussion about the future of the King's Cross area - both the built environment
and the social fabric of the community. A great chance to meet fellow residents, and
learn about the many local campaigns, big and small, working on the issues affecting life in
Kings Cross. Everyone welcome - if you are battling away on your own, or part of a larger
group, come and meet others, build alliances and find out what is going on.
www.kingscrossenvironment.com
Wednesday 14th November 7pm:
Christian Wolmar - How governments have always failed the railways
On the day of the opening of the Eurostar terminal at St. Pancras, Christian Wolmar will be
discussing the fraught relationship between the government and our railways, a topic he
covers in his latest book, Fire & Steam (Atlantic Books, £20). Mr Wolmar is a leading
authority on the British transport system, and this is sure to be a fascinating insight into the
politics of our railways. See www.christianwolmar.co.uk for more info.
"Our most eminent transport journalist" Rod Liddle, Spectator,April 27 2007
Wednesday 21st November 7pm:
Unjum Mirza - 20 years after the King’s Cross fire...
In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the King’s Cross fire, in which 31 people
lost their lives, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT)
representative, Unjum Mirza, will be explaining how new safety regulations, brought in as
a result of the tragedy, are being rolled back, and of the constant battle the RMT faces to
protect these vital safeguards. Mr Mirza is the author of the RMT pamphlet I Do Mind
Dying, which explores this subject and is now available at Housmans.
Wednesday 28th November 7pm:
Michael Edwards - The social costs of the redevelopment of King’s Cross
Michael Edwards, co-chair of the King's Cross Railway Lands Group and Senior Lecturer
in the Economics of Planning at The Bartlett School, University College London, has
spent the last 20 years examining the redevelopment of King’s Cross, and considering its
implications for the local community. He will provide a fascinating and informed look at
the future of King’s Cross that awaits us, as the redevelopment steps up a gear after the
opening of the Eurostar terminal.
www.kxrlg.org.uk
Throughout November:
Angela Inglis - Railway Lands: catching St. Pancras and King's Cross
Angela Inglis has recently published a book of photographs and writing about the King's Cross and St.
Pancras we are losing. We are delighted to have some of the original prints on display within the shop
throughout November. All prints are available to buy, as will be signed copies of her book (Matador, £30).
www.angelainglis.org
For more information about Housmans involvement in the local campaign to preserve
King’s Cross, or to schedule an interview with any of our guests, please contact Nik Gorecki
at Housmans on 020 7837 4473.To speak to Nik directly, call 07932 994 022 or email:
nik@housmans.com
FRIDAY 30th NOVEMBER, 7pm BOOK LAUNCH!
'IRAQI OIL FOR BEGINNERS' The New Comic Book by Jon Sack
For the Iraqi people, war and occupation have led to hundreds of thousands of deaths, and relentless insecurity. But as Jon Sack's new comic book history explains, for Big Oil this desperate situation represents an opportunity to seize control of Iraq's oil and make massive profits at the expense of the Iraqi people. Spanning the period from 1908 to the present day, this is the ideal book for anyone who's ever wanted to put flesh on the bones of the slogan 'No Blood for Oil.'
Tuesday November 27, 7.30pm book launch
The First Six Days; with Abdul Wahab Sabbah from Abu Dis, Palestine. In conjunction with Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association. We are delighted to welcome to Housmans Abdul Wahab Sabbah, who will be flying in from Palestine especially to launch this captivating book of oral histories of the 1967 Six Day War. The First Six Days features fascinating accounts and evocative memories of the war, as told by ordinary people from Abu Dis. Abdul Wahab Sabbah shall be recounting the history of the war and reading from some of the stories. Refreshments available.
Saturday November 17th Housman's Bookshop, Caledonian road N1. 7pm
SAVAGE MESSIAH 8 KINGS CROSS ZINE LAUNCH.
Posters, drawings, zine signings by Laura Oldfield Ford
Projections, films, readings - Savage Messiah Collective
John Wild anarchitect, activist, and psychogeographical explorer of data space will be transmitting a pirate radio signal, from a secret location in the Kings X area, constructed from locative data collected on the previous king x drift. A radio located in Housmans book shop will be tuned to the audio broadcast.?
"Walking through London is a melancholy experience. The phantom of an invented, slickly choreographed future haunts the landscape. Where are these photoshopped families, the joyful inhabitants of the yuppiedromes? They are not here yet, but their avatars stalk us.
Amidst the rubble and chaos, Polish construction workers in luminous garb skip in and out of vans for papers and fags. Oily leatherskins deconstruct the rusting heaps. Sometimes there's a group of kids with a nicked scooter, always the same, taking apart, a destructive urge, parts examined and strewn across the Greenway path. The area is cut, examined, destroyed, not rebuilt but cast off as parts hurled across a flat expanse. The sewage pipe was the conduit, it sliced through the wreckage and gave a gods eye view across the marshlands.
IN THE WORST NIGHT OF RIOTING LONDON HAS SEEN SINCE THE POLL TAX, HOODLUMS LOOTED AND BURNT THE BRAND NEW EURO STAR TERMINAL AT ST PANCRAS. RIOTERS WERE WITNESSED HURLING THEMSELVES THROUGH WINDOWS AND RANSACKING SHOPS ONLY TO SMASH, BURN AND DESTROY THEM. A spokesman for Eurostar said he'd never seen wanton vandalism on such a scale but assured customers that services would resume normally as swiftly as possible. "We won't be sidetracked by a few mindless thugs". The rioters left chilling messages in spray paint across the gleaming terminal building and promised to return. The metropolitan police failed to catch the rioters as they disappeared into the network of service tunnels and escaped through ventilation shafts, " The horses couldn't follow them there."
SAVAGE MESSIAH CALLS FOR AN INVASION OF THE ST.PANCRAS EURO TERMINAL!!! MASS TRESPASS KINGS CROSS TO HACKNEY WICK!!!!!!!
Bring balaclavas, jemmys, ladders and ropes.
Take a look round the new euro terminal, great coffee shops and places to hang out! Why not relax in the new champagne bar
or browse in some of the great new retail developments?"
Savage Messiah Issue 8: Kings Cross to Hackney Wick.
"Savage Messiah is like Heronbone with politics and pictures, Burial's London in words and image instead of sound. The collage form - text, photographs, Laura's own drawings - decomposes London from seamless, already-established capitalist reality into a riot of potentials, the city rediscovered as a site for drift and daydreams, a labyrinth of side-streets and spaces resistant to the process of gentrification and 'development' set to culminate in the miserable synchronized SF Capital festival of 2012."
Mark K-Punk
http://k-punk.abstractdynamics.org
savagemessiah@hotmail.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/johnwild100
*Special Music Event*
Saturday 10th November 5pm: Unit will be playing a short set live in store. Unit are; Yiu 'Uj' Munn Cheung (flutes / guitars / keyboards) Dave Fanning (guitar / bass guitar) Andy Martin (Vocals) Luc Tran (drums & percussion).
Keith Woods calling: On Friday 2nd November we are going to hold another Tales From The Woods open day from 1800hrs through to 2000hrs, in which I will be selling merchandise at knock down prices, 'ie' CDs/Vinyl/T shirts/DVDs/Boogs, and general meomorabalia. Tales From The Woods is a brilliant, off-the-wall roots music magazine, covering skiffle to blues, via rock 'n' roll and jazz.
WEDNESDAYS @ HOUSMANS - OCTOBER 2007
October is "Music and Politics" month @ Housmans
The Wednesdays @ Housmans series continues in October with a series of events celebrating the fruitful relationship between music and politics.
An entertaining way for students to start the new academic year, and get a 10% discount on all their books.
Snacks and refreshments will be available at all events. Hope to see you there.
Wednesday 3rd October 7pm: Eric Levy - Songs for Peace
Singer songwriter, Eric Levy, will be performing his unique selection of songs for peace. A regular contributor at the Torriano Poets for Peace readings, Eric has an unmistakable voice and a talent for singing in a number of languages.
Wednesday 10th October 7pm: Film Screening: Festival
A chance to see this rare footage of the Newport Folk Festival. Recorded between 1963 and1966, Festival captures the atmosphere at the height of the protest movement in the US. Includes electric performances by Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and veteran bluesman, Son House.
Wednesday 17th October 7pm: George Binette - Politics & The Clash
George Binette will be exploring the role The Clash played in putting radical politics into punk rock. Copies of his book, The Last Night London Burned, which documents Joe Strummer's final performance at a 2002 Fire Brigade Union fundraiser, will be available.
Wednesday 24th October 7pm: Bring Your Own Protest Song
Housmans invites you to bring along your favourite political music and play it to us - whether on cassette, or CD, or singing it to yourself! A great way to hear a broad cross-section of political music from across the decades, and share stories and memories over a glass of something.
We are expanding our selection of political musical CDs so if there is something you would like us to stock bring it along.
Wednesday 31st October 7pm: Helen McCookerybook - The Lost Women of Rock
Bass player and lead singer of punk band The Chefs, Helen McCookerybook (aka Helen Reddington) will be joining us to talk about the subject of her latest book, The Lost Women of Rock (Ashgate). Helen will also be playing some of her superb acoustic material for us.
Housmans Anarchist Bookfair Weekender '07
The Anarchist Bookfair, now in its 26th year, was born when Housmans Bookshop, Freedom Bookshop and the Anarchist Book Service combined with A Distribution, to lay the foundations for the book fair as it now is.
For a period of time these four groups not only organised the book fair, but also produced a free magazine called the New Anarchist Review. The group also encouraged local areas to set up their own book fairs. Regretfully, apart from an excellent bookfair organised at the 1 in 12 Club, this initiative did not take off.
The first bookfair attracted a faithful audience of about 10, however with the support of many groups, including Crass, the bookfair has since gone from strength to strength.
Housmans will have a stall at the fair, as it has had since day one, and to show our thanks to our many friends and supporters from over the years, we will be opening our doors for special events, both before and after the bookfair.
Friday 26th October '07 - 6pm onwards
Launch party for new Anarchist magazine Mayday + pre-bookfair social
Mayday is a new Anarchist journal, whose first issue includes contributions from Ian Bone, Dave Douglas, Trevor Bark and many more, who will all be in attendance. Join us for a drink and a chat.
Saturday 27th October '07
The Fair
The shop will be open as normal, but more importantly, stop by our stall at the fair and say hello.
Sunday 28th October '07- 12 till 6pm
After-party
We'll be opening up the shop especially for those who, like us, feel that one day a year just isn't long enough. The shop will open from 12 till 6pm, for a post-bookfair get together. A nice chance to meet, chat, and check out some of our great anarchist stock, including many rarities.
Torriano Poets for Peace: Tuesday 23 October - 6.30pm
This Month's evening of poetry and a little music will feature the usual suspects and the odd new face with poetry and song. It will be introduced as always by John Rety (rated 45,759th in the world by the World Chess Federation!). Admission is free but donations are welcome. There will be refreshments. This Month's Readers will include, Heather Wilson-Queen, Eric Levy and John Kenton. Poets who have read in this series and might read on the night: Rosemary Norman, Harry Eyres, Jeff Cloves, Dennis Evens, Johannes Kerkhoven, Anthony Baker, Danielle Hope, Janet Simon, Christopher Morgan, Racker Donnelly, Hylda Sims, Eric Levy (songs), Pat Arrowsmith, Shanta Acharya, Jane Fraser Esson, Jennifer Johnson, Osita Nwankwo, Jean Pestell, June English, Leah Fritz, Tom Rubens Authors in the Torriano Meeting House Pamphlet Series: A.C Jacobs, Jane Duran, EA Markham, Brian Docherty, Dinah Livingstone, Adam Johnson, Sue Hubbard, Katherine Gallagher, Kathleen McPhilemy, Simon Darragh, David Kuhrt, Jeremy Reed, Jeanette Ju-pierre, Fatma Durmush, Amanda Eason, Gerda Mayer, Paul Wright, Nick Orengo, Dubravka Velasevic, Alan Chambers, Peter Phillips, Rosemary Norman, Veronica Rospigliosi, Mario Petrucci, Jane Elder, Beata Duncan, David Floyd, Jo Roach, Florence Elon, Valeria Melchioretto, Sarah Lawson, Sara Boyes, Paul Birtill, Ray Wilmott, Pat Arrowsmith, Anna Robinson, Donald Gardner, Tom Rubens, Anthony Edkins, Jennifer Johnson, Jenny Vulgar, Daphne Rock, Janet Simon, Linda Black *NB: should universal peace have been achieved by that date the event will be cancelled. |  |
*Special Book Event*
Saturday 20th October, 5pm: Colin Jones & The Black House
Housmans are delighted to welcome photographer Colin Jones to Housmans to talk about his extraordinary new book, The Black House. The Black House was a ‘halfway house for vulnerable young people’ set on London’s Holloway Road in the early 1970s. Jones not only documented a unique slice of London history, but with this book also tells the tale of this fascinating building and its residents.
“The police regularly raid the house, usually in large numbers. Nobody asks to see their search warrant; nobody starts flushing things down the loo either. That’s not what they are looking for. It’s people, or a person. The police go from room to room. When they can’t find who they are looking for they go. Two hours later the person they were looking for comes in through the back.” Jones’s diary entries reveal the trust he had earned, but also hint at the danger he was always in.
Signed copies of the book will be available.
The Black House by Colin Jones, Prestel (Hardcover) £30.
A SPECIAL EXTRA MUSIC EVENT:
Friday 5th October 7pm: Tales from the Woods Open Evening
Tales From The Woods is a brilliant, off-the-wall roots music magazine, covering skiffle to blues, via rock 'n' roll and jazz. The magazine's founder, Keith Woods, will be hosting an open evening, selling merchandise at knock-down prices - CDs, vinyl albums, books, "TFTW"-related posters, etc, all to a typical "TFTW" roots music soundtrack.
Come along and meet those involved in the publication process, not just with "TFTW", but with other music magazines sold in Housmans. Many special guests are expected to turn up to sign CDs and other memorabilia. For further details, check the website at www.tftw.freeuk.com.
September Programme - Peace Month
Wednesday 5th September 7pm: In a change to the previously publicised event, Ann Feltham will be talking about the Campaign Against the Arms Trade's history, successes and plans for the future.
Wednesday 12th September 7pm: CND Chair Kate Hudson will be talking about her campaigning experiences and authoritative book CND: Now More Than Ever - The Story of a Peace Movement.
Wednesday 19th September 7pm: Peace activist Norman Kember will be discussing his experiences and signing copies of his book, Hostage in Iraq.
Wednesday 26th September 7pm: Albert Beale will be recounting the history of Peace News and discussing non-violence as a strategy, as well as celebrating the long-awaited return of Peace News to the news-stand.
Saturday 29th of September 7pm:
NIGHT DRIFT THROUGH KINGS CROSS: ££££££££££££££££££££
@HOUSMAN'S BOOKSHOP, CALEDONIAN ROAD, N1.
On Saturday 29th of September 7pm,LAURA OLDFIELD FORD of SAVAGE MESSIAH ZINE . …………. .. ……. .. …
. ………………… will facilitate a drift through the Kings cross area. The Savage Messiah employs the tactic of psychogeography to expose the repressed desires of the city. Savage messiah welcomes participants to this walk to join a collective cognitive anti mapping of the city and hopes that stories, anecdotes, drawings, ideas generated on the route will become part of the next issue of the zine to be launched at Housman's in November.
JOHN WILD, frequent collaborator with Savage Messiah and psychogeographical explorer of data space will be collecting the locative data calculate from mobile phone signals along the Kings X Drift.??The data will be compiled into an audio broadcast that will be transmitted in the location of Housmans book shop at the November launch. More...
Jammin with Rimbaud, Friday August 10 2007
Aidan Dun and friends celebrated the work of Arthur Rimbaud - the original beat poet, anarchist, psychogeographer, drug abuser and everyone's favourite enfant terrible. Rimbaud lived in and around King's Cross between 1872 - 73 and fell in love with the area, stating that London left Paris looking like "a pretty provincial town". Clearly a man of taste!
Poet and dub troubadour Aidan Dun has been at the heart of a campaign to protect 8 Royal College Street, the only Rimbaud address which survives, from the grips of developers. A wonderful event to be repeated soon!
March
Ian Bone will be reading from his book "Bash the Rich" Friday 20th 6.30pm.
 | In 1984, "The People" branded Ian Bone 'the most dangerous man in Britain'. They weren't far wrong. From the inner city riots of 1981 to the miners' strike and beyond the butler's son and founder of Class War was indeed a greater thorn in Margaret Thatcher's side than the useless blatherings of the Official Opposition. Class War were the real opposition! It was Ian Bone who linked the inner city rioters of Brixton and Handsworth with the striking miners. It was Bone who "The People" spotted rioting with miners in Mansfield, attacking laboratories with the Animal Liberation Front and being fingered by the "Guardian" as the man behind the 1985 Brixton Riot. But that was only the half of it... from 1965 to 1985, from Swansea to Cardiff and London the mayhem spread countrywide. In "Bash The Rich", Ian Bone tells it like it was. From The Angry Brigade to The Free Wales Army, from the 1967 Summer of Love to 1977 anarcho-punk, from Grosvenor Square to the Battle of the Beanfield from the Stop the City riots to Bashing the Rich at the Henley Regatta, Ian Bone breaks his silence. In the 1980s, Ian Bone was 'The Anarchist In The UK' with a half brick in one hand and an incendiary pen in the other. How did the child who lived in a fabulous English mansion and saluted the AA man from a Rolls Royce come to be the man who famously promised to Bash the Rich and leave Hampstead a smouldering ruin? Where do David Niven, Keith Allen, Rik Wakeman, Douglas Fairbanks Junior, Cynthia Payne, George Melly, Flanagan and Allan, Yoko Ono Pope John Paul and Lofty from Eastenders fit into the story. Why did Gregory Peck send Ian Bone a Get well card? This is no dry tome destined to gather dust in leftie bookshops. Against a background of all the major outbreaks of disorder of the time it's a startlingly honest, funny, warts n' all scream of rage from a gutter level anarchist prepared to fight "by any means necessary". That "the most dangerous man in Britain" is at liberty to write books rather than serving a life sentence for sedition or being hung for treason will be the first question on every MP's lips as this smouldering anarchist bomb hits the bookshelves. |
Torriano
Poets for Peace-Thursday 15th, 6.30pm
This Months evening of poetry and a little music will feature the usual suspects and the odd new face with poetry and song. It will be introduced as always by John Rety. Admission is free but donations are welcome. There will be refreshments. Poets who have read in this series and might read on the night: Rosemary Norman, Harry Eyres, Jeff Cloves, Dennis Evens, Johannes Kerkhoven, Anthony Baker, Danielle Hope, Janet Simon, Christopher Morgan, Racker Donnelly, Hylda Sims, Eric Levy (songs), Pat Arrowsmith, Shanta Acharya, Jane Fraser Esson, Jennifer Johnson, Osita Nwankwo, Jean Pestell, June English, Leah Fritz, Tom Rubens
*NB: should universal peace have been achieved by that date the event will be cancelled. | |
Book launch- Iran on the Brink. Tuesday 6th 6.30pm-8.30pm
Andreas Maslm & Shora Esmalian from the Iranian Workers Solidarity Group will be talking about their new book & the latest developments both inside Iran and the threat of attack by the United States.
 | This is an intimate account of Iranian working people; an account of the threat facing Iran from our own country; an assessment on the consequences for Iran and her internal struggles of external invasion; and an insider's account of Iran's people, its politics, and the threat of invasion. Iran is rarely out of the news headlines. President Ahmadinejad openly courts controversy over Iran's alleged ambitions to acquire the atomic bomb, and his outspoken criticism of George W. Bush means Iran is viewed with deep suspicion in the West. With US and UK troops entrenched in Iraq, is an outright invasion of Iran on the cards? This is the first book to explore the changes taking in place in Iran from the ground up. While the world keeps its eyes riveted on Iran's nuclear programme, the Islamic Republic has gone through a crisis of its own. This book shows how soaring unemployment and poverty has given way to social protest. A new labour movement has come to the fore. Although strikes are banned, workers are beginning to organise and underground networks are challenging the rule of the mullahs from within. The authors offer a unique portrait of the social upheaval, why it is happening and where it may take the country. Following the fall of reformism, the rise of Ahmadinejad and the recent outbursts of ethnic violence, this book provides rare insights into the inner contradictions of the Islamic Republic. The second part of the book deals with the international issues facing Iran - in particular the nuclear question, Iran's oil reserves and the serious threat of invasion. It is a sobering account of the realities of life in Iran, and the threat that war poses to the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people. Written with clarity, this is an ideal book for anyone who wants a detailed introduction to this fascinating country. |
February
27th- Signing "Spacegirl Pukes" 5.30-7.00pm
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| Invitation Please come and help Out for Our Children to celebrate the launch of ‘Spacegirl Pukes’ and our new website When: Tuesday February 27th 2007 at 5.30 to 7pm Where: Housmans Bookshop | Out For Our Children Press Release - February 2007 Out For Our Children is Out There! - A Website, A Grant and A Book! The Website The Grant The Book How to get involved Out For Our Children
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January 2007
Torriano
Poets for Peace-Tuesday 16th, 7.00pm
This Months evening of poetry and a little music will feature Jehane Markham, Paul Birtill, Gamma, Marco (songs). John P. Kenyon (guitar) and Eirini (songs). It will be introduced as always by John Rety. Admission is free but donations are welcome. There will be refreshments. Poets who have read in this series and might read on the night: Rosemary Norman, Harry Eyres, Jeff Cloves, Dennis Evens, Johannes Kerkhoven, Anthony Baker, Danielle Hope, Janet Simon, Christopher Morgan, Racker Donnelly, Hylda Sims, Eric Levy (songs), Pat Arrowsmith, Shanta Acharya, Jane Fraser Esson, Jennifer Johnson, Osita Nwankwo, Jean Pestell, June English, Leah Fritz, Tom Rubens
*NB: should universal peace have been achieved by that date the event will be cancelled. | |
December 2006
Thursday
14th December 6.30pm- Yap from Pink Punk
Yap will be be reading
from his poetry with contribution from his friends, below is a sample from their
website- www.ppunk.com
| PINK
PUNK. Mediocrity is a grey rainbow. Flowers in dead concrete. White doves caged down. Mick Jagger dollar wabble. It saddens me. It reduces me to pity smiles. Mother Nature nailed down into tiny. Me, me, me, my autograph, my big cock, my empire, tiny. What has become of us? Pink Punk is a movement. Pink Punk is a step forward in the right direction. In-fact Pink Punk is the hardest ball bouncing in the court at present, I dare say. Don't doubt that for a second. Let's put it this way, I am not Madonna' revolution. You'll have to forgive the brag I bark. It may sound a mite arrogant I know, but you know what, that's just the way it is. Bling, bling as they say. What am I to do about a sick reality I'm forced to react against daily? Am I to just sit back and play lick-arse for a living, do you think? My window opens every morning on a world so up to its ears in nonsense, it's embarrassing, and that's just me stating the very least. I met John Hendicot (DJ Lo Cash) about two years ago. In terms of being a gentleman, he's a moon, in terms of being a producer/musician he's a genius. He brought a jumbled idea I had in the back of mind for an age, to life. One day we just sat down together, ate cookies, laughed, and in between our lovely chats we found ourselves writing an album. Our album is titled Zoo Politics. I wanted to write an album that said something. I wanted to write an album that said hello. An album that said, we are not all lowest common denominator. I wanted to write an album that killed the icon absolutely stone dead in everyone. More than anything else though I wanted to write an album that genuinely represented good people, everywhere. Our album is a little taste of everything in the pot to date melting onto one page. Our sound is a new transfusion of notes and spoken word. Moreover our album is just the beginning of many chapters yet to come under the name Pink Punk. Like I said, Pink Punk is a movement. I have many dreams, many hopes. One hope is to take a spoken word show on the road soon after the release of Zoo Politics. I intend to bring a whole new version of something you've never heard before to date to the table. That is of course only if you'll allow me the time and place to have your ears. I am also beginning work on a documentary about the absence of philosophy in our society, which will hopefully inspire many young people to take up the subject themselves. There's more to be said and in time all will be revealed. Something new is coming, something beautiful, something the world is not expecting. Zoo Politics is the first door in. Yap. 05. |
November
Torriano Poets for Peace-Tuesday 28th, 7.00pm
This Months evening of poetry and a little music will feature Tom Rubens, Marco
(songs). John P. Kenyon (guitar). Osita Nwankwo and Eirini (songs). It will be
introduced as always by John Rety. Admission is free but donations are welcome.
There will be refreshments.
Saturday
18th November- Ramor Ryan reading from his book Clandestine
| Book
Reading Saturday 18th November, 6pm. Clandestines : The Pirate Journals of an Irish Exile, published by AK Press, Oct 2006. The author will be present and copies of the book will be for sale. : Ramor Ryan's pirate journals read like Che's Motorcycle Diaries infused with Hunter S. Thompson's wit and flair for the impossible. A shrewd political thinker and philosopher, with a knack for ingratiating himself into the thick of precarious situations, Ryan has been there and lived to tell about it. "A rousing, insightful, humorous tapestry of cultural resistance, Clandestines impels us to fear inaction, not failure, for mistakes are made to be learned from, and our lives are our own."— San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Riot
by Ian Hernon- Signing November date to be confirmed
RIOT!-Civil
Insurrection from Peterloo to the Present Day, Ian Hernon, £19.99
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October Launch of the London Worms! The Worms of Euston Square by Willian Sutton - Reading by the Author, Monday 30th 6.30pm
A crime thriller set in the murky underworld of Victorian London... When a hydraulic engine explodes at Euston Station, young police recruit, Campbell Lawless, stumbles onto the trail of an elusive revolutionary called Berwick Skelton. Coded threats point to a plot to unleash a spectacular attack in London, but where or when it will take place is anybody's guess...
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Naming The Dead by Maya Evans - Book Launch Friday 27th October 7.30pm
Maya Evans was the first person convicted for demonstrating near Parliament under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (see our Law booklist for more information). She was convicted for reading out the names of British servicepeople killed on Iraq. In this book she tell's her story and presents the case aginst the Government militarism abroad and erosion of Civil Liberties at home.
Naming the Dead - Maya Anne Evans, £7.00
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Hamas by Khaled Hroub- Book Launch - Coming Soon
HAMAS-A Beginner's Guide, Khaled Hroub, £11.99
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This book could not be timelier. Khaled Hroub expertly answers every important question about Hamas and insightfully explains its ideology, organisation and appeal. Concise, lucid and invaluable.' James Piscatori, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies The U.S. views Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Yet, to the great surprise of many, Hamas swept to victory in the 2006 Palestinian Authority elections. Hamas is now a democractically elected political party.This is the first beginner's guide to this controversial political organisation. Explaining the reasons for Hamas's success, this book provides the key facts that are so often missing from conventional news reports. It's a one-stop guide that gives a clear overview of Hamas's history, key beliefs, and its political agenda. Written by a leading Al-Jazeera journalist and Cambridge academic, this unique book provides a refreshing perspective that gets to the heart of the reasons behind Hamas's victory. It provides a critical overview of Hamas's attitudes to Israel, including religious beliefs and suicide bombings, its attitude to the PLO and its programme of grassroots social work within Palestine. The reality of Hamas's victory means that the West will now have to engage with it more seriously if there is to be peace in the Middle East. This book provides the first essential step towards a better understanding of the challenges and suprises that the future may hold.
Ramparts of Resistance by - Book Launch Friday 20th October 6.00pm
RAMPARTS OF RESISTANCE-Why Workers Lost Their Power, and How to Get It Back, by Sheila Cohen £16.99
Torriano Poets for Peace-Tuesday 17th, 7.00pm This Months evening of poetry and a little music will feature Jean Pestell, Hylda Sims, June English, John P. Kenton (with his guitar) and Janet Simon. It will be introduced as always by John Rety. Admission is free but donations are welcome. There will be refreshments.
Don't Shoot the Clowns by Jo Wilding- Book Launch Friday 6th 7.00pm
"Don't Shoot the Clowns" is Jo Wilding's account of living with Iraqi people during the war and its aftermath. She tells what daily life is really like in a country coping with invasion and occupation, and how she and a hastily recruited troupe of circus performers brought clowns, laughter and some moments of respite to the children of Iraq. As a human rights observer, Jo Wilding, a young British trainee lawyer and solidarity activist, witnessed and recorded in her blog some of the worst atrocities committed against ordinary people. Out of the trauma grew the circus, travelling round the squatter camps, schools and orphanages, putting light and hope back into people's lives. 'I want to thank you for coming,' said one observer. 'This is the first time since the war that I have seen the children laugh this way, from their insides.' Jo Wilding isn't a journalist looking for stories. In simply playing with children, helping where possible and instinctively recording events, she provides a unique and independent perspective. Her daily accounts have an immediacy and accuracy that bring the scenes sharply into focus. From the shocking, painful stories of the siege of Falluja - where, for a terrifying day and night, she was taken prisoner - to the crowds of mesmerized children, every episode vividly describes life in occupied Iraq. £14.99
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Enemy Combatant by Moazzam Begg - Talk by the Author was £18.99, is £17.09
Moazzam Begg is an ordinary man who has endured an extrodinary fate - he is one of the nine Britons who were seized and then detained in the camps at Guantanamo Bay, imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, and the precise nature of which has never been determined. The US government labelled him simply "an enemy combatant".
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"To Have An Only Child" Signing Tuesday 3rd October
Ros Kane will be giving a talk and signing copies of her book To have an Only Child, £10.00 There are surprisingly few British books for parents who have - or are wondering whether to have - an only child. Yet as the birth rate declines, and there are more and more one-child families, the issue is becoming increasingly important. This is not a simple 'how to' book, but brings together the accumulated widom of over 300 parents who have thought about the best ways to accept - or celebrate - that they have an only child, and the best ways to live with their child. Their thoughts are often complex, subtle and moving. The book deals with every aspect of the experience - from the parents' point of view. It does not give bland reassurances, but does offer positive stories, as well as more problematic ones, based on completed questionnaires from parents of differing ages, genders, ethnic backgrounds and social classes, also drawing on some in-depth intervies. It addressed the concerns of parents who are able to - or choose to - have only one child. By reading other people's accounts, we can feel less alone, and more able to reflect on our own feelings.
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September Hemp for Victory Signing by Author Kenyon Gibson Thursday 7th 6.30PM Author Kenyon Gibson will be signing copies and talking about his new book- Hemp for Victory in the shop on the evening of 7th September. This illustrated 280 page work retails at £17.95 providing an amazing insight to the history and qualities of the world's most useful plant.
August Torriano Poets for Peace-Wednesday 30th August 7.00pm This Months evening of poetry and a little music will feature Shanta Acharya, Jane Fraser Esson, Jennifer Johnson, John P. Kenton (with his guitar) and Osita Nwankwo. It will be introduced as always by John Rety. Admission is free but donations are welcome. There will be refreshments.
Anne Aylor's Creative Writing Courses
Anne Aylor's creative writing course will be held on Thursday nights in the shop starting in the autumn. Please check www.anneaylor.co.uk to find out more or register for the course. Workshop Your Novel • Course 23 @ Housman's Bookshop, Kings X, London N1 Thursdays, 5 October - 23 November 2006 6.45PM - 9.15PM Cost: £120 for 8 weeks To undertake a novel is a long, often lonely, experience. Many people begin a book only to lose momentum.
This workshop is an opportunity for those working on a novel to receive constructive feedback, inspiration and a deadline. This short course will consist of an exercise to limber you up, followed by readings and weekly discussions of your novel-in progress. Sessions will include: • techniques to develop your novel • advice on how to arrange and expand your material • help if you've hit a block • a chance to create work that feeds into your manuscript • the opportunity to have writing read and discussed • learn how to edit and become a more objective critic of your own work REQUIREMENT TO JOIN Because this workshop will be generated by the work students produce, to join you must be committed to regularly bringing work for discussion. So You Want to Write a Novel • Course 24 @ Housman's Bookshop, Kings X, London N1 Thursdays, 25 January - 8 March 2007 6.45PM - 9.15PM Cost: £100 for Weeks 1 - 6, £12 for Open Mic night on Week 7 What kind of novelist are you? What sort of book do you dream of writing? Have you found your subject matter? If you have not written before, how do you begin?
This 7-week short course will consist of lectures, timed exercises and readings that will give you the freedom and confidence to develop your ideas on paper. Each session will deal with a different aspect of novel writing such as "Getting Started", "Characterisation", "Point of View", etc. Topics covered will include: • techniques to start writing/develop a novel already in progress • advice on how to arrange and expand your material • a chance to create new work during the workshop that feeds into your manuscript • the opportunity to have writing read and discussed • "Open Mic" night on Week 7 for those who wish to share chapters of their new book
The workshops will be conducted in a friendly, constructive atmosphere and is open to anyone with a desire to write, from beginners to publlished novelists. After completing this course, you can advance to the "Workshop Your Novel" which will return for another 8-week session in May 2007.
July 2006 Left London Booklaunch - now fixed for Tuesday 18 July (6.30pm) The book, of photographs by William Eckersley & Alexander Shields, costs £25.00. It contains 170 pages of photographs, and was inspired by Shields's masters course in graphic design at Central St Martins. As part of his studies he became interested in London's abandoned buildings. He accumulated a large number of photos, and the idea of documenting this rarely-seen side of the city's life began to take on a life of its own. In the months that followed, the pair took over twenty thousand photos and visited more than one hundred sites across the capital. From this vast amount of material emerged the categories into which the book is divided - Industry, Transport, Health and Leisure - which reflect a pattern of abandonment and decay that extends from the centre of London to the periphery.
General Strike Booklaunch - Friday 14 July (6.30pm) 1926 General Strike - Workers Taste Power, by Peter Taaffe, £7.50. We are hosting a launch for this book, at which there will be refreshments. All are welcome. "This May sees the eightieth anniversary of the 1926 General Strike in Britain - the most important and earth-shattering moment in the history of the British working class.To commemorate it and, more importantly, to draw out the lessons from this movement, Peter Taaffe has written a book outlining the course of the nine days that shook British capitalism to its foundations.The book will particularly deal with the revolutionary possibilities of the General Strike and the question of whether the fledgling Communist Party of Great Britain had the right strategy, programme and tactics to take full advantage of the strike and the period."
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Torriano Poets for Peace - Wednesday 5th July, 7.00pm A evening of poetry, with Racker Donnelly, Leah Fritz, Hylda Sims, John P Kenton (guitar), Eric Levy (songs). Introduced by John Rety from Hearing Eye publishers. Admission Free but donations welcome.
June 2006
Peace News 70th Anniversary Birthday Bash17th June
Peace News will be celebrating 70 years of radical peace publishing with
a day of workshops, discussions and events, followed by a party, all at
21 Russell Square. The day opens at 11am and the party will run to midnight.
Housmans will have a book stall at this event Also the June Peace News
will be a special issue with extra pages and features on the history of
the paper.
MAY 2006
Torriano POETS FOR PEACE - Wednesday 24th 6.30pm. Poetry evening introduced by John Rety and featuring Anthony Baker, Dennis Evans, David Floyd, Danielle Hope, Christopher Morgan, John P Kenton (with guitar) and Johannes Kerkhoven. Admission free and there will be refreshments.
Ephemera Web Site Launch-Wednesday 10th May 6.30-10.00pm
Our downstairs neighbours Porcupine Bookcellar are starting a new web
site selling badges, posters, pamphlets and other miscellany from radical
movements. Housmans and Porcupine will be hosting a party mark the event.
Refreshments will be provided, all welcome. Contact Porcupine on 0207
713 1717 or visit andrewburgin.com.
APRIL 2006
There will be a wake for Harry Mister, one of the founders of Housmans Bookshop, on Saturday 22nd April at Conway Hall, Red Lion Sq, London WC1, from 4pm till 10pm.
Yap from Pink Punk will be giving a rendition of his slam poetry at the shop on Thursday 13th April from 6.30. Admission is free and all are welcome.
MARCH 2006
Torriano POETS FOR PEACE - Wednesday 15th 6.30pm. Poetry evening introduced by John Rety and featuring Rosemary Norman, Harry Eyres, Jeff Cloves of Riff Raff Poets, John P Kenton (with guitar) and Johannes Kerkhoven. Admission free and there will be refreshments.
Book Launch - People Power and Protest since 1945: A Bibliography of Nonviolent Action - Thursday 23rd 6.30pm. Compiled by April Carter, Howard Clark and Michael Randle, this annotated bibliography of over 900 itemized references provides a guide both to recent campaigns and to the theory and practice of nonviolent action. It covers diverse movements, some not exclusivly nonviolent, and raises highly controversial issues; introductions to each campaign provide relevent historical background and note some criticisms. A powerful resource for activists, it should also be of use to students and academics studying the history, politics or sociology of popular movements around the world. Join the Compilers to discuss the issues raised and reflect on the developments in the peace movement over the last 60 years.
Past Events: 2005
| Events: | November 2005 | (click here to see previous events) |
| Friday 18th |
PAMPHLET LAUNCH & POETRY READING |
Pat Arrowsmith will do the above for and from her new collection Going On. Should go on till about 8 REFRESHMENTS |
| Wednesday 23th |
BOOK LAUNCH & TALK
|
Aad Wagenaar, Settela. Five Leaves Publishing, £8.00 A young girl, looking back from a train, appears for seven seconds on a film of a transport bound for Auschwitz. Who was the girl? Did she survive? No. |
| Friday 4th November | AUTHOR DISCUSSION |
Cuba & Venezuela by Brian Lyons & Rich Palser OF North London CUBA SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN NO BACARDIWhy not? Click it and see... |
| Friday 28th October |
DIARY LAUNCH & 60th BIRTHDAY PARTY
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Launch of the 2006 Housmans Peace Diary: celebration of 60 years of Housmans Bookshop |
| Thurs 27th October |
AUTHOR
DISCUSSION |
Kate Hudson, Chairperson of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament introduced her recent book on the movement: CND: Now More Tnan Ever |
| Wed 26th October | AUTHOR
DISCUSSION | Claire Andrews spoke about issues pertinent to her book LEGACY: RECAPTURED TREASURES AND LASTING MEMORIES OF CARIBBEAN MIGRANTS IN BRITAIN AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR during black history month |
| Tues 25th October | SCREENING
& TALK.jpg) | Andy Worthington, editor of BATTLE OF THE BEANFIELD screened OPERATION SOLSTICE and gave his talk 'The Legacy of the Beanfield'. DVDs of the film available at £12.00 |
