Next discussion meeting: Radical Self-Publishing

Radical Self-Publishing
Wed 6th February 2013, 7.30pm
Wood Green Social Club. 3 Stuart Crescent, (off the High Road) Wood Green, London N22 5NJ (Not far from Wood Green tube station/end of White Hart Lane/Civic Centre) http://radicalhistorynetwork.blogspot.co.uk/

The past year has been a bit quiet for the Radical History Network of NE London, however, a few of us have got together who want to try and initiate a series of discussions for 2013. In order to make that happen we have organised a discussion on the subject of 'Radical Self-Publishing' for Wed 6th February 2013 at 7.30pm.

We have invited some speakers to kick off the discussion which will include some 'wanderings in the past present and future of the political pamphlet',  local examples of self-publishing, reference to local activist Alan Woodward, long-time convenor of RaHN and who self-published as Gorter Press, and current issues with technological forms of self-publishing, but anyone who attends can contribute their own ideas and the discussion will be led by the interests of those present, or just come and maybe learn something you didn't already know.

If you have any themes you would like covered in 2013 please come along and let's make them happen.

The meeting on 6th Feb will be divided into three parts:
1. Main discussion on the theme of Radical Self-Publishing
2. General discussion about the Radical History Network and what people would like to see in 2013, ideas for future meetings, how to extend the network, stay with same venue or somewhere different? Does anyone wish to take on various aspects of the practical side to RaHN? RaHN stall at Haringey Local History Fair (Sat 23rd Feb)
3. Updates on republishing of local activist and long-time RaHN convenor Alan Woodward's work, plus how to get involved in the archiving process, and ideas for a permanent home for the archives

New Kid on the Blog: Another radical historian turns to self-publishing

Pete Grafton, author of YOU, YOU & YOU!  The People Out of Step with World War II (Pluto Press, 1981)  has recently started his own blog at <http://petegrafton.wordpress.com >. He intends to publish the original, longer version of the book online in late Spring, and to follow it with an interesting new project resulting from his work on letters written in the late 1940s to and from Glasgow, Cairo, and Porton Down.

YOU, YOU & YOU!  pioneered a type of historical method which is now much more generally accepted, even in mainstream academic circles, as both valid and important: encouraging non-famous, non-line-toeing people who were there to speak in their own words about what it was like. Among other writers who have referred to it, Alan Woodward used Pete’s interview cassette and transcripts in After Cable Street – Joe Jacobs 1940 to 1977 (Socialist Libertarians, 2011, reviewed on this blog*) as his main source along with Joe’s papers  for the section on Joe and the war.

L.W.

* By the way, Alan seemed pleased with this review and said it made valid points. He suggested that it should be published in Black Flag, as it has been.