Appropriating the Bookfair: A Reportback from Constellation 2025

From Montreal Counter-Information

We heard you like reportbacks from anarchist festivals; may others from this one follow. May 15th-21st, 2025 in Montreal was the second edition of Constellation. Over seven days, there were book launches, parties, benefit shows, bike rides, a book arpentage, a squatted rave in an abandoned magic store, a barbecue, a barbecue that blocked fascists, a mesh networking day, a radical consent workshop, and more. People attended from across the country, from south of the border, and from overseas, and events consistently saw packed rooms, even when there were five happening at the same time.

Regarding the Statement by the Montreal Anarchist Bookfair Collective

From Constellation

In March 2024, when the Montreal Anarchist Bookfair Collective (MABC) announced the cancellation of that year’s bookfair, a group of local anarchists got together to make sure it happened anyway. We launched Constellation, a weekend-long anarchist festival that would include a one-day bookfair. The initiative was well received and we decided to do it again in 2025, this time extending the festival to a week. A few days ago, the MABC released a statement declaring their return. You can find it on their Mastodon and Facebook pages. It specifically mentions Constellation (although not by name) and we thought it would be useful to offer our insight on some of the points raised within.

Announcing the Return of CONSTELLATION May 15-21, 2025

From Constellation Anarchist Fest
November 29, 2024

Announcing the Return of CONSTELLATION:
An Anarchist Festival in Montréal,

This year felt like an immense success to us. In a little under 2 months, many groups and individuals came together with creative discussions, parties, workshops, film screenings, and more. These events were held at the many anarchist spaces around the city, bringing people together and creating the connections that make our movements so vibrant.

TOTW: Decentralized Anarchist Gatherings

The anarchist bookfair (or is it book fair?) is a staple of the anarchist tradition. Despite the contradiction of a presumably anti-capitalist event centered around selling books, anarchist bookfairs are perhaps the primary way anarchists from wider regions gather face-to-face and spend time together (as well as spend $$$).

Call for Tablers - Constellation: Montréal Anarchist Festival

CONSTELLATION will feature a bookfair on Saturday, May 25th, at the CÉDA and CCGV buildings in Parc Vinet (métro Lionel-Groulx). We invite booksellers, zine distros, artists, and makers of other material of interest to anarchists and the anarcho-curious to table at the event. Tabling will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but you can show up as early as 8:30 a.m. for setup. ​​​​​​​

As organizers of CONSTELLATION, we would like to clarify that we see our role as helping facilitate an anarchist bookfair space, not as content arbiters. 

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