Welcome! Newsletter number 38.
No new review. I realize that the credit I accumulated with the review triple in January is slowly wearing off, but I figured I’d get by for another month.
February offered a highlight in its final weeks, with a trip to Ireland, the first in five years. I’ve visiting Ireland regularly since 1991, there’s a short note about that in the Articles section. I met with a few authors, among them Kieran Allen (32 Counties: The Failure of Partition and the Case for a United Ireland), Liam Ó Ruairc (Peace or Pacification? Northern Ireland After The Defeat of the IRA), and Ramor Ryan (Clandestines: The Pirate Journals of an Irish Exile). The latter, who also maintains a blog, is currently working on a very promising account of Irish insurrectionists – something for us all to look forward to! Also met with people from the IWW Belfast and the (A) Centre, a “new radical working class social space, library and reading room” initiated by longtime Belfast organizers who are currently doing a fundraiser to help get their space off the ground. I had talks with friends of Finbar Cafferkey, one of the anarchist volunteers killed in Ukraine last year; they confirmed my understanding that the articles about the volunteers published by junge Welt after their deaths were slanderous, which led to me no longer contributing to the paper (see the September 2023 newsletter). Irish politics remain fascinating, and I got a new favorite band: Kneecap! Here are my favorite song and favorite interview.
Less of a highlight is a prolonged conflict around my union (SAC) and its newspaper (Arbetaren), something that I, as general secretary, have to comment on. I’d rather not, but you can’t always choose.
Swedish readers can also look at articles in Arbetaren about the Indian anarchist M.P.T. Acharya as well as one of my favorite subjects, sports and politics (commemorating the 140th birthday of Julius Deutsch).
I lied in my last newsletter. The Greek translation of my Void Network interview about Life Under the Jolly Roger wasn’t out yet. But it’s out now! A Spanish translation of an older interview (originally published by Freedom Press) has also become available under the title “Anarquistas, maoístas y antiimperialismo”. And there’s an Indonesian translation of the article “Fans, Officials, and Police: Catastrophe Day in Indonesian Football”, which I co-wrote with Frans Ari Prasetyo. It’s been published in the Bandung Supporter Alliance zine (5/2023) and on Medium.
On the YouTube channel of What’s Left of Philosophy, you’ll find a Gustav Landauer episode largely based on Revolution and Other Writings. And Soccer vs the State being dropped in the liner notes to the latest episode of The Assistant Professor of Football allows me to reference an endearing podcast for all of you online listeners.
Last but definitely not least, here’s a new project I’m involved in, together with good friends from different parts of the world: DIY Solidarity!
More next month. Stay safe!