News From Nowhere is 30 on Mayday 2004!

News From Nowhere Radical Bookshop in Bold St, Liverpool, will be celebrating its 30th Birthday in style with an unusual programme of events. The women’s collective which runs the shop as a workers’ co-operative is proud of their success in surviving everything from fascist attacks to the rise of internet bookselling. Nothing has been able to dampen their spirit or shake their belief that books can be revolutionary and that there’s no substitution for browsing real books on real shelves! The bookshop is now thriving as the major independent in Liverpool, with its own building which is a treasure trove of weird and wonderful books on subjects from anarchism to zen, & CDs of magical music from all corners of the globe.

Never afraid of controversy, News From Nowhere has always stood outside the mainstream, but this year sees a recognition of the positive role the bookshop has played in the life of Liverpool & beyond with:
- A Lord Mayor’s civic reception at the Town Hall
- A finalist in the Big Difference Awards…..and last but not least…..
- A Corporate Honorary Fellowship of Liverpool John Moores University

In case people get the idea that this radical bookshop has gone soft, the collective are organizing their celebrations around the theme “We are All Immigrants”. On the day that 10 new countries join the EU, Saturday 1st of May itself, News From Nowhere will attempt to counter the mass hysteria of racism which accompanies any talk of immigration, by inviting customers to celebrate their varied origins. Badges and balloons will be handed out proclaiming “We Are All Immigrants” and customers will be invited to mark their origins, or their ancestors’ origins, on a Map of Diversity, making visible the true roots of Liverpool as a Capital of Culture (and not a culture of capital).

EVENTS:

Saturday 1st May – 12pm onwards - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS “We Are All Immigrants”
Mana Bozho Youth Ensemble - drumming
Soul Purpose – women’s funky a capella singing
Joan Owusu – storytelling for children & adults
Tayo Aluko – baritone
River Niger – African folk

Tuesday 11th May – 12.30pm – Ghada Karmi, reading from & signing copies of her book “In Search of Fatima: a Palestinian Story” (Verso)

Thursday 20th May – 7pm – Michael Foot, member of the Labour Government which established the Mayday Bank Holiday, reading from his book “The Uncollected Michael Foot” (Politico’s)

Friday 28th May – timeTBC - James Kelman, Booker prizewinner, signing copies of his new book “You Have to Be Careful in the Land of the Free” (Hamish Hamilton)

Later in the year – events will hopefully include – Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (journalist); Rob Newman (author & comedian); & an evening on “Women’s Activism on Merseyside”

Organizations who would like to be involved throughout the year, please get in touch.
Further info: Mandy Vere, News From Nowhere Bookshop, 96 Bold St, Liverpool L1 4HY
0151-708 7270 nfn@pop3.poptel.org.uk www.newsfromnowhere.org.uk