Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Autumn 2016 Listings Update

Bookfairs and Book Launches          

At London Anarchist Book Fair on October 29th:

(For meetings of a radical-history persuasion, see previous post - now updated)

  • Donald Rooum, author and illustrator of Wildcat Anarchist Comics and What Is Anarchism? An Introduction, 2nd Ed.
  • Richard Parry, author of The Bonnot Gang: The Story of the French Illegalists, 2nd ed..
  • Alana Apfel, author of Birth Work as Care Work: Stories from Activist Birth Communities, also at the Radical Independent Book Fair in Glasgow, Scotland on October 14th.
  • Planka.nu, authors of The Traffic Power Structure.
  • Brian Morris, author of Anthropology, Ecology, and Anarchism: A Brian Morris Reader.

9th Annual Belfast Anarchist Bookfair in Belfast on October 15th.

Radical Independent Book Fair Project in Glasgow on October 14th.

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Brand new 2017 London Rebel History Calendar available now!
Written and designed by angry amateur hysterians, and printed in several colours by artisans in South London.

Yours for just £6.00... Plus £2.00 Postage & Packing

Available from the publications page on Past Tense website:
http://www.alphabetthreat.co.uk/pasttense/past-tense-publications.html
(payment by paypal)

or by post, from
Past Tense
c/o 56a Infoshop
56 Crampton Street,
London
SE17 3AE

enclosing a cheque for £8.00, payable to Past Tense Publications.
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Sunday 30 October 2:30-5:30pm at Marx Memorial Library
This Sunday the MML's festival, joint with the IBMT, Townsend Productions and Unite the Union, commemorating the International Brigades 1936-2016, will culminate in a gala afternoon of songs from Townsend Production's new play Dare Devil Rides to Jarama, a drinks reception, a special book sale on the Spanish Civil War and the unveiling of an original plaque listing the 90 British dead at the Battle of the Ebro by Shadow Foreign Secretary, MP Emily Thornberry. It promises to be a memorable occasion.
£5 on the door.
{For more on this topic, from a libertarian perspective, see "Spain" category on left of blog page]
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Forthcoming lectures at Marx Memorial Library
 Next in series, all 7pm, £5 @MML
  • 17 Nov - Prof Simon Mohun on the current capitalist crisis
  • 24 Nov - Prof Roger Seifert on labour market changes in time of austerity
  • 1 Dec - Kiri Tunks on Women in labour movement today

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News from Nowhere Club

Saturday October 8th 2016

What Does Local Community Action Really Mean?

Speaker: Jude Leighton

"What are the possibilities & limitations of trying to transform the local area where you grew up? Jude has lived in Leytonstone all her life & has worked in several organisations, aiming to make a big difference to the quality of life of her neighbours. She has learnt several lessons through her struggles & will let us into her most recent thoughts & revelations, with a chance for the audience to contribute their own experiences & utopian desires."

 Epicentre, West Street E11 4LJ

 7.30 pm Buffet  8.00 pm Presentation and discussion

 All welcome. Free entry.  Enquiries 0208 555 5248
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Play: Past, Present, and in Perpetuity
Join the Public History Discussion Group for a talk by Jordan James, Play Heritage Worker, on the two-year Heritage Lottery Fund project which explored, uncovered, and re-told the histories of the adventure playground movement in Islington. 

Public History Discussion Group Saturday 22 October 2016 
Institute of Archaeology, 
UCL 31-34 Gordon Square, 
London, WC1H 0PY 
11 am tea and coffee, room 619 11:30 talk, 612

"The Public History Group sees public history broadly as the making of histories not created for the academic seminar room as such but as the creation of histories by families, communities and nations as a way of creating a useful past in the present. Our emphasis is upon the process of creating meaning rather than a specific subject content. We hope to provide a platform for presentations from a wide range of speakers, from those who are leaders in their field, to those who are just setting out on their research."
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Black History Month in Ealing Libraries (selection)

Michael De-Souza, Creator of Rastamouse
Join Michael De-Souza, the creator of Rastamouse, for a special performance during half term.
West Ealing Library
Friday 28 October        10.30am -11.30am
Ealing Central Library
Friday 28 October        12.30pm - 1.30pm
Acton Library
Friday 28 October        2.30pm - 3.30pm
Admission: Free. No booking required.

Bussing in Southall with Dr. Olivier Esteves

In the 1960s and 1970s many children of Asian origin were bussed from their homes in Southall to schools in other parts of the borough. This was to become a controversial issue for many, but was justified in the name of integration.
Ealing Central Library
Tuesday 18 October        6.15pm – 7.15pm
Admission: Free. Advance booking required.

Author talk: Horlene Hanlan

Join the author of ‘Sunset on the Horizon - the story of A Rebel Woman, Rebellion and the Jamaica Maroon Treaties’. This powerful novel explores family and kinship, romantic love, child mortality and the legacy of slavery. With a historical sweep from 1690 to 2008, the novel dispels stereotypes and misinformation about Jamaica and illuminates the connections between Jamaica and Britain.
Ealing Central Library
Thursday 27 October        5.45pm - 6.45pm
Admission: Free. Advance booking required.

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Independent Working Class Education Network:
Sheffield Day School
October 16th 2016 12pm- 5.30pm
Venue: Philadelphia WMC, Upperthorpe, Sheffield

"It's The Economy Stupid- A Day of Economic
Thought & Discussion"
Sessions including:
    What is Neo-Liberalism? Is there such a thing as Corbynomics?
    Free Trade - Freedom or race to the bottom?
    Everything you wanted to know about economics, but
    were frightened to ask - panel discussion
Tickets: £5 book through iwceducation@yahoo.co.uk
Pay on the day
Economy-related cartoon (published at least twice by Solidarity/Agitator)
NEW: Economics: Past, Present and Future :

Independent Working Class Education Day School
Norwich* Saturday 26th November 10.30 am - 4pm
£5.00 (pay on the day) Includes lunch. To attend email Keith Venables
and reserve a place:    iwceducation@yahoo.co.uk 

Programme

Morning
What do we want from socialist economics? Christine Jordan
Presentation and Discussion
 'Social production controlled by social foresight'.Colin Waugh
Free Trade or Protectionism? Dave Berry
Lots of discussion

Afternoon
Corbynomics:
David Heywood, former PCS national officer and TUC tutor;
Katy Jon Went, human rights activist and former economist/business owner.

Panel
The sessions are very participatory with plenty of opportunities for contributions/ ideas and discussion. 

* Methodist Church, Chapel Field Road, Norwich, NR2 1SD (venue fully accessible). Limited parking on site but public car park in Bignold School next door to the church. Near Norwich bus station and about 10 mins bus ride from rail station (buses 25 or 26 from the station).

Further Norwich Day Schools in 2017 will include: international solidarity, the history and future of Trades Councils, direct action and anarchism.
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Peace History Conference 2016

This year's exciting and informative Conference will take place in Leeds, Yorkshire on 14th and 15th October 2016.

The linked programme & booking leaflet give all the details for the two days of events entitled 'Conscience and Conscription: Resistance to War 1916-2016'.

See the Movement for the Abolition of War website http://www.abolishwar.org.uk/ to book online.

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From Mary Quaile Club
A Bed Of Shards: House of Orphans
Writer Jane McNulty,
With Camellia Productions.

The tower block that has been their home for years is facing demolition, and a council bungalow awaits them.
But while Ronnie embraces the possibilities of a new beginning, her partner, the reclusive Button, fears the move will bring exposure and loss.
Packing up their home reveals more than the rodent damage to their hoard of teapots and junk.
Crammed to the ceiling with the detritus of lives lived and of disappointed dreams, is the flat a place of safety or a prison?
Home – there’s no place like it.
"Jane wrote our wonderful play about Mary Quaile; Dare to be Free. Please see below details of her latest play and support if you can." - MQC.

 Also from the Mary Quaile Club:
Kinsley Women Day 19 -Leslie Leake, Marice Hall and Karen McGee  who are cleaners at Kinsley Academy in Wakefield in West Yorkshire. The Academy  outsourced the contract  to a private firm, C&D Cleaning Group
 Since then the company has cut the three workers’ wages from £7.85 an hour to £7.20 — the minimum wage. The company also abolished the sick pay agreement which the cleaners’ union, Unison, had with the council.The company   are refusing to recognise the union.
The women  are now on  Day 19 of  official strike. The company has attended some talks at ACAS but this morning it was learned that the company had advertised the three  jobs, hoping to recruit strike-breakers. 
You can help the women by writing directly  to the C & D management team  in support of the women and asking them to speak directly to the union. The more emails they get the better, so if you can  ask friends and colleagues to write as well, that would be helpful.
Customer Care team customercare@cdcleaningservices.co.uk
Gary Chapman, Managing Director gary@cdcleaningservices.co.uk
Nick Thorpe , Head of HR nick@cdcleaningservices.co.uk
Kate Speight, Operations Manager kate@cdcleaningservices.co.uk
Lorraine Hughes, Brand manager lorraine@cdcleaningservices.co.uk
Izy Evans, Brand Ambassador izy@cdcleaningservices.co.uk

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The next Mary Quaile Club  event will be on Saturday 26th November, 12.30pm- 16.30pm, at Three Minute Theatre, Afflecks Arcade, 35-39 Oldham Street, Manchester, M1 1JG.

This will be a complete screening of the six part BBC television series The House That Jack Built, written by Shelagh Delaney. This was broadcast in the summer of 1977, and has been never been repeated or issued on DVD.

Shelagh grew up in Salford  and came to fame in the late 1950s with her play A Taste of Honey, staged by Joan Littlewood, and later filmed by Tony Richardson. Her work for television has often been overlooked. We are delighted to be showing the series by special arrangement  with the British Film Institute.
The six 30 minute plays tell the story of the marriage of  Jack (played by Duggie Brown) and Lou (played by Sharon Duce) over ten years.
In an interview Shelagh said of the drama,  "Well I suppose they lose their innocence. That’s what the play is really about. They learn they’ve got to put up with things they don’t really want to put up with...certain aspects of each other. Jack’s head is full of ideas. He’s a poet. They are building something physical and emotional and sometime something collapses and they build it up again. They are concerned with timeless things like money food and sex. Jack and Lu are both very sexy. They enjoy sex. But there isn’t a bedroom scene in the plays. The audience expects explicit sex,  but it's more potent when it isn’t explicit."
 Nancy Banks Smith wrote in her review in  The Guardian, "It had one of the finest openings since Damn said The Duchess. Enter the bride spectacularly drunk. As Jack the groom described it  diplomatically 'You danced every dance,  you told a couple of jokes and when you’d had enough you fell down.' This turned the traditional wedding night on its head with bride vowing – over and above love and honour – total future abstinence...I quite see that all this may wrinkle the nose of the more fastidious among us,  but don’t read what I say, do what I do. Watch it.." 
The House That Jack Built  is being shown in two halves of 90 minutes with an intermission for refreshments. Entrance is £5 (£4 for members of Equity, Musicians' Union and the Writers Guild).
Advance booking is strongly recommended  for this one-off event as seating is limited.

UPDATE [31-10-16]: This event was given good publicity in the Salford Star this morning: 
"There has been a steady demand  for places. If you are thinking of coming, it would be a good idea to reserve seats soon, before they all go..."  Please email:  maryquaileclub@gmail.com .
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And a Transcription project: 
Minutes of the Manchester and Salford Women's Trades Union Council 1895-1919
The Mary Quaile  Club is undertaking a project to transcribe the Minutes of the Manchester and Salford Women's Trade Union Council from 1895-1919. This has been supported by donations from trade unions. 

The latest post by researcher Bernadette Hyland is on the years 1897-1899.

You can find out more information on the project here.

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London Socialist Historians Group seminar series Autumn 2016

 LSHG Seminar series Autumn 2016
For more information please contact LSHG convenor Keith Flett: email address at above link

 Seminars in Room 304 Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, Malet St, WC1
5.30pm. Free without ticket
Monday October 10th 
Steve Cushion, 'A Working Class Heroine Is Also Something To Be: Where women workers fit into A Hidden History of the Cuban Revolution: How the Working Class Shaped the Guerrilla Victory':- When researching the biographical details of working class women, we are not only faced with that "enormous condescension of history" which EP Thompson criticized when writing about the history of working class movements, we also find that working class women are doubly "hidden from history" by the assumption that organised labour is male. However in Cuba in the 1950s, there were many important strikes which were initiated and sustained by women workers...
Monday October 24th Ian Birchall: Lenin’s Moscow UPDATE: LSHG seminar postponement 
Unfortunately Ian Birchall is unwell at the moment and the seminar on Lenin's Moscow on 24th Oct will have to be cancelled. It will be re-arranged for the Spring term 2017. 
"Apologies for any inconvenience caused - we hope Ian gets well soon." 
Monday November 7th Simon Hall: 1956, The World in Revolt:
The 60th anniversary of Hungary and Suez is upon us and to mark the occasion on Monday 7th November we have the author of a recent and well regarded book on 1956- Simon Hall- to speak.
It's as usual in Room 304, Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, Malet St, WC1 from 5.30 p.m.
Monday November 21st  John Boughton (Municipal Dreams blog) High Hopes- Labour and the rise and fall of High Rise housing
Monday December 5th Merilyn Moos: Breaking the Silence. Voices of the British Children of Refugees from Nazism
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Socialist History Society PUBLIC MEETING
William A. Pelz (Institute of Working Class History, Chicago) speaks on 
A People's History of Europe (also the title of his latest book, Pluto, 2016).
Time: 7.00 pm. WEDNESDAY 9TH NOVEMBER
 Venue: Marx Memorial Library, 37a Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DU.
FREE TO ATTEND
http://www.socialisthistorysociety.co.uk/news.htm
SHS meeting - William A Pelz on A People's History of Europe

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Richard Hart Memorial Lecture
Hosted by Caribbean Labour Solidarity
November 5th - 12:30 - 3:30pm
Bolivar Hall - 54-56 Grafton Way, London W1T 5DL

Programme
  •      Arrive 12:30 for refreshments [£5 for curry and roti]
  •      Poem read by Linton Kwesi Johnson
  •      Welcome and update on Tivoli Gardens massacre by CLS President Luke Daniels
  •      Professor Richard Drayton will deliver the Richard Hart Memorial Lecture
  •      Closing; Kaiso by Tobago Crusoe
Plus Bookstalls food and artists
Free admission, but registration is essential:

And another -

Raphael Samuel Memorial Lecture 2016

Alison Light: 'Between Private and Public: Writing a Memoir about Raphael and Myself'
7th December 2016, 7.00pm - 8.30pm
Wine reception to follow
This event is free of charge, but please reserve your place.
Venue: Arts 2. Lecture Theatre, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS
To locate the venue, please click on this campus map. 
Alison Light is a writer and Honorary Professor in the English department of University College, London.  As the widow of Raphael Samuel, she helped establish the archive and research centre in his name.
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A festival to celebrate the People's fight for justice with music, speakers and poetry. Topics include The Free University, Legal Aid, attacks on education, Momentum, the campus at Hastings, Socialism and the Labour Party and the role of trade unions. Speakers include Jackie Walker, Louise Raw, Gloria Whittaker, Terry McCarthy, Gill Knight, Natasha Le Roc, Maggie Lloyd and many more. Sponsored by Unite the Union, Hastings TUC and the Labour History Movement Publications. 2pm-8pm, the Printworks - attendance free. 
For further details e-mail Terry at mccarthy790@btopenworld.com
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Conference on the 40th anniversary of the Lucas plan

BOOK NOW for a conference celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Lucas Plan!
Veteran trade unionists and younger activists see Nobel prize-nominated plan as inspiration for the future
November 26th, Birmingham
The Lucas Plan was a pioneering effort by workers at the arms company Lucas Aerospace to retain jobs by proposing alternative, socially-useful applications of the company’s technology and their own skills. It remains one of the most radical and forward thinking attempts ever made by workers to take the steering wheel and directly drive the direction of change. Read the Plan here.

Today, in 2016 — 40 years after the Lucas Plan — we’re facing a convergence of crises: militarism and nuclear weapons, climate chaos, and the destruction of jobs by automation.
These crises mean we have to start thinking about technology as political, as the Lucas Aerospace workers did.
Our conference will aim to re-open the debate about industrial conversion and democracy. 
=====================
WCML enquiries@wcml.org.uk
Working Class Movement Library
51 The Crescent,
Salford, M5 4WX

Museums at Night
On Thursday 27 October we open in the evening (6.30pm-8pm) to mark the nationwideMuseums at Night celebration. Broadside ballads from the Manchester region from the ‘Middleton Linnet’ Jennifer Reid form a counterpoint to Battle for the Ballot, in which singer-songwriter Quiet Loner uses original songs to tell the story of how working people came to have a vote.  The story will take in events like the Peterloo Massacre and introduce the people – Chartists, politicians and suffragettes – who fought for the ideal of universal suffrage.
Admission free.

 New series of Invisible Histories talks
Our popular series of free Wednesday 2pm tours:

12 Oct Katrina Navickas Protests and public space in Lancashire and Yorkshire in the age of radicals and the Chartists, 1789-1848. 

26 Oct Nicole Robertson “Organise, educate and agitate”: trade unionism and office workers in Britain, 1914-39. 

9 Nov Mervyn Busteed Engels, the Burns Family and the Manchester Irish.

23 Nov Malcolm Pittock Albert Evans, Bolton WW1 conscientious objector.

Full details of the talks can be found at http://www.wcml.org.uk/events. 
All welcome, admission free, light refreshments after. 

And on Tuesday 4 October at 2pm there will be a talk to mark Black History Month: Race, racism and the working class struggle by Lou Kushnick, founder of the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre.  All welcome, admission free, light refreshments after.
Exhibitions
On Wednesday 28 September our new exhibition, We Only Want the Earth, opened and runs until the end of the year. On the centenary of the Easter rising we explore the life of one of its leaders, James Connolly, socialist, trade unionist, nationalist and revolutionary.  We Only Want the Earth reveals the life and prolific works of this enigmatic man.
Exhibitions are open Wednesdays to Fridays 1-5pm, and the first Saturday of the month 10am-4pm. Admission free.

To find out more about the first UK reading of a new piece by Charlotte Delaney, playwright and daughter of Salford writer Shelagh Delaney, on 3 November, and other events before the end of the year, head to http://www.wcml.org.uk/events.

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Wakefield Socialist History Group
On Saturday 3 December the Wakefield Socialist History Group are holding an event at the Red Shed, Vicarage Street, Wakefield WF1 -THE POLITICS OF ANTONIO GRAMSCI.

The  speakers so far are Howard Moss from the Socialist Party of Great Britain and Colin Waugh from the Independent Working Class Education Network.

The event starts at 1pm.  Admission is free.  
There is a free light buffet plus a bar with excellent real ale.

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Barnsley Festival of Labour History - Friday 14th-Sunday 16th October 2016
The Civic, Hanson Street, Barnsley, S70 2HZ
Talks, discussion, music film - weekend ticket £10
Organised by Barnsley Trades Council to celebrate the 125th anniversary of our founding
Sponsored by the Society for the Study of Labour History
Highlights include
Friday 14 October - opening with gig by David Rovics (£5 entry) at The Old No. 7 Market Hill Barnsley
Saturday 15 October - Sunday 16 October
Speakers include Malcolm Chase, Dave Burland, Jill Liddington, Keith Laybourn, Louise Raw, John Newsinger, Donny Gluckstein, John Field, Anandi Ramamurthy, Ralph Darlington
On Saturday night there will be a screening of Ken Loach's film The Price of Coal.
Tickets / more info from Barnsley Trades Council c/o 33 Western Street, Barnsley, S70 2BT
Cheques payable to Barnsley Trades Council.  Tel 07594857960 for more info.

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Courses in Manchester this autumn on the history of Radical Women
Michael Herbert will be teaching two courses on the history of Radical Women 1790 – 1980 this autumn, one in the evening and one during the day.
The first course will be in the evening and will take place at Aquinas College, Nangreave Road, Stockport.  It will begin on Monday 12 September, 6.30pm to 8.30pm.  The course will last 10 weeks and finish on 21 November.  (Half-term will be 24th October)... The second part of the course at Aquinas will start in January 2017 and covers the years 1918-1980.
For information about the course fees and how to book, please contact Sheila Lahan at the Adult Education Unit at Aquinas College, email sheila@aquinas.college.ac.uk.  Telephone:  0161 419 9163.
Michael will also be teaching this course during the day at the Working Class Movement Library, starting on Tuesday 27th September, 11am to 1pm. It will cover the same topics as the course at Aquinas.  The course will last 10 weeks. Half-term will be 25 October and the course will finish on Tuesday 6 December. As part of the course there will be an opportunity to look at original documents and items in the collection at the WCML.
The cost of the course at the WCML will be £60, payable in advance. For more information about the course and how to book, please contact Michael Herbert: redflagwalks@gmail.com

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London Review Bookshop
19 October 2016 at 7 p.m.
Sheila Rowbotham was one of the leading figures behind the Women’s Liberation Movement in Britain and one of the best-loved feminists of our times. In conversation with Melissa Benn, Rowbotham will discuss her latest book Rebel Crossings: New Women, Free Lovers and Radicals in Britain and the United States and its transatlantic story of six radical pioneers, showing how rebellious ideas were formed and travelled across the Atlantic.
They will discuss the fascinating perspectives offered by Rebel Crossings: on the historical interaction of feminism, socialism, anarchism and on the incipient consciousness of a new sense of self, so vital for women seeking emancipation. In differing ways they sought to combine the creation of a co-operative society with personal freedom, engaging with ideas and experiments that speak to our times today.
http://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/events/ N.B. Costs £10.

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Social Histories of the Russian Revolution
SOCIAL HISTORIES OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
A year-long series of monthly discussion meetings, timed to take place during the run-up to the centenary of Russia’s revolutions of 1917.
Venue: Birkbeck, University of London
Full programme and further information:  https://socialhistories1917.wordpress.com/

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Housmans Bookshop

‘Irregular War: ISIS and the New Threat from the Margins’ with Paul Rogers
Wednesday 5th October, 7pm
‘Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa’s Most Repressive State’ with Martin Plaut
Wednesday 12th October, 7pm
‘Purple Prose: Bisexuality in Britain’ with Kate Harrad
Wednesday 19th October, 7pm
LOCOMOTRIX POETRY & OPEN MIC EVENT
‘Kaleidoscope’ with Laura Taylor. Supported by Joy France
Saturday 22nd October, 6.30pm
‘The Bonnot Gang: The Story of the French Illegalists’ with Richard Parry
Friday 28th October, 7pm
‘China and the New Maoists’ with Kerry Brown
Wednesday 2nd November, 7pm
‘No Borders: The Politics of Immigration Control and Resistance’ with Natasha King
Wednesday 9th November, 7pm‘The Refusal of Work: The Theory and Practice of Resistance to Work’ with David Frayne
Wednesday 16th November, 7pm
‘Angry White People: Coming Face-to-Face with the British Far Right’ with Hsiao-Hung Pai
Wednesday 30th November, 7pm
Read more...           

 Also at Housmans:-

 Monthly meeting of the London Pacifism and Nonviolence Discussion Group
 - as usual on the second Tuesday in the month
(so Tuesday 11 October), 
at Housmans Bookshop (5 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, London N1), 
starting at 7 p.m.

""Remembering the victims of war can motivate people to work for peace. Yet the lead-up to Remembrance Day often seems to be more about promoting war and stirring up jingoistic feelings.

How can we approach the Remembrance season in a way that serves the cause of peace rather than war? Should we just ignore it? Should we join in so that we can honour all those killed in war (i.e. not just the British dead, and not just the military [who are a minority of the victims])? Should we treat Remembrance as an opportunity to make the case for pacifism?

If we challenge mainstream Remembrance events, do we risk being too confrontational? Or do we need to be less concerned about causing offence?
(But what about the offence the military cause to many of us...)

Whatever your views, come along to the next meeting and join the discussion.""

The meetings generally run for up to 2 hours, and are fairly informal. 
(And it sometimes becomes even more informal in the pub afterwards.)

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Guided Tours of Marx Memorial Library
""The Marx Memorial Library has reopened after our summer closure for guided tours of the building, now including an exhibition of rare material from our archives and new displays dedicated to labour movement figures.
A ‘hidden gem’ of London’s radical and working class history, the Marx Memorial Library (37a Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DU), offers guided tours to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week at 1pm.
These tours allow people to visit the room and desk where Lenin worked in exile in London in 1902-3, see the banners of the British Battalion of volunteers in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 and view artefacts from major industrial disputes, such as the mineworkers’ and Wapping strikes of the 1980s. These include a unique collection of over 100 commemorative ceramic plates created by the National Union of Mineworkers and its branches.
Also on display is a Hammersmith Socialist Society Banner embroidered by William Morris’ family, dating from the early 1890s, along with original posters from the Spanish Civil War and the Soviet Union.
The most recent additions to our displays are a portrait of Fidel Castro, presented to the library by the Cuban ambassador on May Day this year, and a maquette of suffragette and activist Sylvia Pankhurst, designed by the late sculptor Ian Walters. There is also a rotating exhibition in the main hall showcasing rare materials from our archives and historical collections.
In addition the Grade II listed building’s historic vaults, which date back to the fifteenth century, can be visited, as well as a memorial courtyard dedicated to media workers killed in the 20th century war against fascism, from Spain in 1936 to victory in Europe in 1945.
The Library was founded by a group of socialists in 1933 in response to the Burning of the Books by the Nazis in May of that year and has been at the heart of the British labour movement ever since.
The Library’s Archivist & Library Manager, Meirian Jump, said: “We have a fascinating story to tell and this past year has seen a surge of interest in our collections, and in the history of our unique building.”
She added: “Everyone who enters the building agrees that we are one of London’s hidden gems. Recently we’ve added some exciting new displays which we hope will encourage even more people to take part in our tours.”
Booking recommended. For further information email admin@mml.xyz or call 02072531485. £5/£3 unwaged.""
Marx Memorial Library & Workers' School
37a Clerkenwell Green
Marx Memorial Library
London
EC1R 0DU
020 7253 1485 admin@mml.xyz archives@mml.xyz www.marxlibrary.org.uk Opening Hours: Monday-Thursday 12-4pm Registered Charity Number: 270309 to unsubscribe: http://www.marx-memorial-library.org.uk/index.php?option=com_civicrm&task=civicrm/mailing/optout&reset=1&jid=2720&qid=70833&h=4be4426c2cb74b44 

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Medact's new report launch: expert speakers & panel discussion
Risking Their Health: Children in the Armed Forces
7-9 p.m., 18/10/2016. 
Brighton University, School of Humanities (Room G7), Pavilion Parade, BRIGHTON BN2 1RD.
We would like to invite you to the launch event for Medact's latest report, into the British military's recruitment of under 18s. You will hear from an panel of expert speakers and be able to join a discussion about the UK's policy of recruiting under 18s and the impact this has on their long-term health. We'll also be discussing the militarisation of civil society and education, why we need to speak out and act against it - and how to do so effectively. Speakers include:
Joe Glenton: Afghanistan veteran, author & campaigner
Sally Slotowitz: Psychologist and a report author
David Gee: UK Coordinator of Child Soldiers International
It's free, and all attendees will be given a copy of the report & a toolkit on how to challenge militarism in the UK. Registration advised.
"The UK is the only country in Europe to recruit 16 year olds and the only permanent member of the UN Security Council to recruit under 18s into the armed forces. Although recruits are not deployed until they turn 18, there are many reasons why the UK faces pressure from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the UK’s Joint Committee on Human Rights and many other organisations to raise the recruitment age to the age of majority.
Medact’s report details the risks to health that are disproportionately faced by child recruits, including self-harm, suicide, death or injury from combat, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It also examines how recruitment is concentrated in areas of socio-economic disadvantage, and how this and other recruitment practices lead to those children who are most vulnerable to trauma-related health problems ending up on the front line. The report will feed medical evidence and a health perspective into the widespread campaign to raise the recruitment age to 18."
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And...
Healthy Planet, Better World conference
This year’s major Medact conference, “Healthy Planet, Better World”,
takes place on 9 – 10 December in London. 
The programme and impressive list of speakers are available here 
(http://www.medact.org/projects/forum-2016/)
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