This past Saturday a new tradition began: the first annual Toronto Anti-Capitalist Book Fair!
It was a gorgeous day for theory as hundreds of people stopped by the front yard of Cecil Community Centre to browse left-wing literature from activist publisher Between the Lines, radical book seller Orlando’s Bookshop, the Toronto chapter of the Democratic Socialists of Canada, and the Revolutionary Communist Party’s own Camilo Cahis Marxist Publishing House (CCMPH). Colourful art by Max Ocampo Estribí added some additional character to the event.
The CCMPH is the publishing house of the Revolutionary Communist Party, and the distributor of Wellred Books in Canada. We offer a wealth of Marxist literature, both classic and contemporary. The book fair proved that there’s a hunger for precisely this kind of Marxist theory—we sold almost $3,000 worth of literature!
But that comes as no surprise. With wars carrying on around the globe, natural disasters exacerbated by climate change, skyrocketing rents, and a cost-of-living crisis, people are looking for answers: why is the world like this, and what do we do about it? That’s where Marxist theory comes in. Our bestsellers were Lenin’s Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism, a classic; and CCMPH’s newest title, The Fight to Free Palestine: Palestinian History From a Marxist Perspective, both essential reading for understanding Israel’s expanding slaughter in the Middle East.
Aside from the books themselves, what helped to make the book fair special were the discussions. Visitors mingled and chatted, having in-depth talks and comradely debates. The book fair was as much a venue for exchanging ideas as it was a sale.
It was an excellent day, and we’re already looking forward to the second annual Toronto Anti-Capitalist Book Fair next year!
