Community-focused fair returns to Fernwood
The 21st annual Victoria Anarchist Bookfair will take place at the Fernwood Community Centre (1240 Gladstone Avenue) from Saturday, Sept. 19 to Sunday, Sept. 20, organisers say, marking another year of grassroots publishing, art and community groups coming together in the city.
Organised by a collective of volunteers, the bookfair aims to showcase literature, zines, crafts and social initiatives that the organisers say reflect anarchist principles — described in event materials as the “beautiful idea” of people relating freely without formal authority. The event has evolved over two decades into a weekend that mixes sales, info-sharing and performances.
Vendors, artisans and community groups
The gymnasium at Fernwood will host vendors arranged into three main categories: books and zines, artisans and community organisations. Named participants and returning tables include:
- Camas Books of Quadra Village, returning with an expanded selection and representing some American writers and booksellers.
- Historical Seditions from Left Bank Books, an American zine and book distributor.
- Night Forest Press (Gabriola) and Electromagnetic Print (Salt Spring Island) among small presses on site.
- Artisan tables such as Eldritch Moss Arts, a two-spirit Indigenous maker, and Left of Lilith, a collective selling handmade jewellery.
Organisers say a record number of community groups will participate — 14 in total — offering information and solidarity work. Named groups include Friends of Gitxsan and Gitanyow (FOGG), which focuses on solidarity with Indigenous groups opposing the PRGT pipeline, BC Casa VI, a Guatemalan queer and disabled solidarity collective, and Shock Events Vic, a local BDSM and sex-education group focused on safer spaces for edgeplay and the leather community.
Programming and performances
In addition to vendor tables, the weekend will include programming and live music. Among scheduled performances is the Revolutionary Rap Rumpus by the Rhymethink Collective, with special guest PINDN, which organisers have promoted as a highlight for the event’s evening programming.
“A beautiful idea of anarchism”
That phrase appears in the bookfair’s description and captures the event’s intention to present anarchism as a social ethic — emphasising mutual aid, local organising and creative expression rather than formal political structures.
What to expect and local context
For Victoria residents the bookfair offers a concentrated snapshot of alternative political and cultural organising on the West Coast: small presses and zine-makers, artisans with ties across Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, and community organisations focused on Indigenous solidarity, queer and disabled activism, and sex-positive education.
Fernwood is already known as a cultural hub for independent arts and grassroots events; the bookfair’s return there reinforces that role and provides a chance for local residents to engage directly with regional and international networks that often operate outside mainstream institutions. For families and residents considering attendance, the event offers daytime vendor tables and community information, with evening music and performances rounding out the schedule.
| When | Sept. 19–20 |
|---|---|
| Where | Fernwood Community Centre, 1240 Gladstone Ave. |
| Main features | Books, zines, artisans, community groups, live music |
Organisers encourage visitors to check the bookfair’s materials and local listings for specific schedules and any accessibility information before attending. As with many volunteer-run events, programming and participants can be fluid, reflecting the DIY character of the fair and the wider anarchist-leaning scene it serves.
The 21st Victoria Anarchist Bookfair continues a long-running local tradition of independent publishing and community-led cultural exchange — a weekend that situates Fernwood once again as a meeting place for radical ideas, craft and solidarity work on the Island.
