The Freedom Shop Aotearoa

A talk and discussion about class in today's Aotearoa, and launch of the Freedom Shop's new pamphlet 'Class War in the 21st Century'. 6pm, Wednesday, August 23rd The Freedom Shop/Book Haven 160 Riddiford Street Newtown Whanganui-a-Tara Class was the issue that originally defined 'the left', but the left doesn't talk much about class these days, sometimes addressing class issues using euphemisms, sometimes avoiding it all together. Sam Buchanan, author of the new pamphlet, will talk about how class manifests itself today, and how domination of the left by the Professional-Managerial Class has led to class issues being ignored and other progress being hindered. Snacks and drinks. Grumpiness welcome. No throwing things.

The impact of punk on the lives of local activists is examined in a new pamphlet recently released by the Freedom Shop: Dumb Enough to Actually Try It: How Punk Rock Can Make You a Better Manager by Sam Buchanan. Part history, part self-help guide for aspiring managers, the essay sets out how punk developed an economic structure and organising methodology. This not only sustains it, but has given many people skills which have proved effective well beyond the punk movement. Punks have taken these skills into many areas, both expected and unexpected. Several local punks are quoted in the essay, including Kate Pussycat who went on to establish fundraising opshops and a rural animal sanctuary. “ Years of being broke living on the dole and loving opshopping prompted me to set up an opshop in Wellington as a way to fundraise for animal rights work. It was wildly successful! So then we got ambitious and borrowed money from anyone we knew who had anything to lend and bought 26 acres of land t...

The impact of punk on the lives of local activists is examined in a new pamphlet recently released by the Freedom Shop: Dumb Enough to Actually Try It: How Punk Rock Can Make You a Better Manager by Sam Buchanan. Part history, part self-help guide for aspiring managers, the essay sets out how punk developed an economic structure and organising methodology. This not only sustains it, but has given many people skills which have proved effective well beyond the punk movement. Punks have taken these skills into many areas, both expected and unexpected. Several local punks are quoted in the essay, including Kate Pussycat who went on to establish fundraising opshops and a rural animal sanctuary. “ Years of being broke living on the dole and loving opshopping prompted me to set up an opshop in Wellington as a way to fundraise for animal rights work. It was wildly successful! So then we got ambitious and borrowed money from anyone we knew who had anything to lend and bought 26 acres of land t...

The Freedom Shop has released several new pamphlets lately, including a new edition of On the Misery of the Student World (AKA On the Poverty of Student Life ). This text came about in 1966 after five situationist-influenced students were elected to the University of Strasbourg’s students’ union. The group formed an ‘anarchist appreciation society’ The Society for the Rehabilitation of Karl Marx and Ravachol and appropriated union funds to flypost a detourned comic strip, Return of the Durruti Column. They then invited the ‘Situationist International’ to contribute a critique of the University of Strasbourg, and this text, which despite the title critiques the whole of Western society, rather than just the role of students, was the result. Credited to ‘Members of the Situationist International and students of Strasbourg University’, it was actually mostly written by Tunisian situationist Mustapha Khayati. Formed in 1957, the situationists were a small group that mixed avant-garde art ...

A launch event for three new zine titles, presented by The Freedom Shop in collaboration with Wellington Zinefest, PAPA and Counterfutures. On Thursday the 18th of November we will be launching THREE new zines in collaboration with Wellington Zinefest, People Against Prisons Aotearoa, Counterfutures and the How To Talk To Your Racist Uncle team.   The zines are: 'How To Talk To Your Racist Uncle' by Gaayathri Nair, illustrated by Lenny Zook.Check out their upcoming workshop on 27 November at the Aro Community Centre . 'Daring to Think of Something Better' -by People Against Prisons Aotearoa . 'Landlord Neutral 2030' by Counterfutures , illustrated by Pinky Fang.  The plan: Doors open at 5:30. Launch begins at 6:10pm. Expect ten minutes of kōrero on each zine, and the chance to buy copies before and after. The Freedom Shop will be open for you to pic...

A launch event for three new zine titles, presented by The Freedom Shop in collaboration with Wellington Zinefest, PAPA and Counterfutures. On Thursday the 18th of November we will be launching THREE new zines in collaboration with Wellington Zinefest, People Against Prisons Aotearoa, Counterfutures and the How To Talk To Your Racist Uncle team.   The zines are: 'How To Talk To Your Racist Uncle' by Gaayathri Nair, illustrated by Lenny Zook.Check out their upcoming workshop on 27 November at the Aro Community Centre . 'Daring to Think of Something Better' -by People Against Prisons Aotearoa . 'Landlord Neutral 2030' by Counterfutures , illustrated by Pinky Fang.  The plan: Doors open at 5:30. Launch begins at 6:10pm. Expect ten minutes of kōrero on each zine, and the chance to buy copies before and after. The Freedom Shop will be open for you t...

 The Radical Zine Launch is on today - MayDay - Saturday 1st May at the Freedom Shop Doors open 5.30 - launch proper starts 6.30pm This is the launch of our second volume of newly designed radical zines - available to purchase at cost-price. (All between $2 - $4!!) Free kai and drinks. Open to all. This event happens to fall on the same date as the Freedom Shop's 26th Birthday! So you're welcome to stay for a drink with us after the launch. NEW TITLES INCLUDE: ' The Terror of the Dawn Raids ' by Melani Anae, re-designed by Darcy Woods. ' Burning Women ' by Lady Stardust, re-designed by Cosmo Bones. ' Eternal War on the Hitler Youth ', re-designed by Zoe Hannay. ' Dare to be a Daniel! ' by Wilf McCartney, re-designed by Hannah Salmon. You'll also be able to pick up the latest edition of aargh! and remaining copies from our Volume 1 collection or Radical Zines, which includes the titles: Rongoā: Māori Herbal Medicine , The Problem with White ...

    Come long to the launch of  Volume 2 of our "Radical Zine Series" on 1 May 2021 - radical political texts, newly illustrated by local artists, made in collaboration with Wellington Zinefest,   Radical Zine Series is a kaupapa which invites local creatives to redesign radical zines from the Freedom Shop collection. The project aims to both provide paid work for artists and make the important ideas contained within the zines more accessible through design. Free kai and drinks. Open to all. This event happens to fall on the same date as the Freedom Shop's 26th Birthday! So you're welcome to stay for a drink with us after the launch. NEW TITLES INCLUDE: 'The Terror of the Dawn Raids' by Melani Anae, re-designed by Darcy Woods. 'Burning Women' by Lady Stardust, re-designed by Cosmo Bones. 'Eternal War on the Hitler Youth', re-designed by Zoe Hannay. 'Dare to be a Daniel!' by Wilf McCartney, re-designed by Hannah Salmon.   Saturday, 1 ...

    Come long to the launch of  Volume 2 of our "Radical Zine Series" on 1 May 2021 - radical political texts, newly illustrated by local artists, made in collaboration with Wellington Zinefest,   Radical Zine Series is a kaupapa which invites local creatives to redesign radical zines from the Freedom Shop collection. The project aims to both provide paid work for artists and make the important ideas contained within the zines more accessible through design. Free kai and drinks. Open to all. This event happens to fall on the same date as the Freedom Shop's 26th Birthday! So you're welcome to stay for a drink with us after the launch. NEW TITLES INCLUDE: 'The Terror of the Dawn Raids' by Melani Anae, re-designed by Darcy Woods. 'Burning Women' by Lady Stardust, re-designed by Cosmo Bones. 'Eternal War on the Hitler Youth', re-designed by Zoe Hannay. 'Dare to be a Daniel!' by Wilf McCartney, re-designed by Hannah Salmon.   Saturday...

Help celebrate and launch the first four Radical Zines re-designed and re-purposed in a collaboration between Wellington Zinefest and the Freedom Shop. When: Thursday, 10 December at 6pm Where: at the Freedom Shop - in Opportunities for Animals, 162 Riddiford St, Newtown We selected classic zines from our archives for a creative reimagining. With the help of donors from a Boosted campaign, four local illustrators were commissioned to reimagine these relatively simple, text-heavy zines into fully illustrated beautiful works! The radical zine redesign project has helped make the important ideas within these zines even more accessible. We'll be selling the redesigned texts and cheaply as possible so that we can share their learnings with as many people as possible. The four zines are: Are We All New Zealanders Now? by Dr Ani Mikaere, redesigned by Izzy Joy "The Problem With White Saviours" by Simone Kaho, redesigned by Kata Brown Rongoā by Emily Tuhi-Ao Bailey, redesigne...

We've just received a range of anarchist and punkish zines from the UK:

We've just received a range of anarchist and punkish zines from the UK:

Winter Zine Market is on Sunday 21 July!  Upstairs in Thistle Hall, the market will be full of stalls carrying zines from artists and creators with all sorts of backgrounds and styles. The Freedom Shop will be there with new & old zines, including: writings by Behrouz Boochani, one of the people detained on Manus for 6 years an update on Bougainville the reality of what can happen when you have interactions with the police writings by bell hooks the concentration camps in the us refugees are welcome postcards                             and many more... The market is upstairs at Thistle Hall, 293 Cuba Street. There are a flight of stairs stairs and a small, single person lift.

Winter Zine Market is on Sunday 21 July!  Upstairs in Thistle Hall, the market will be full of stalls carrying zines from artists and creators with all sorts of backgrounds and styles. The Freedom Shop will be there with new & old zines, including: writings by Behrouz Boochani, one of the people detained on Manus for 6 years an update on Bougainville the reality of what can happen when you have interactions with the police writings by bell hooks the concentration camps in the us refugees are welcome postcards                             and many more... The market is upstairs at Thistle Hall, 293 Cuba Street. There are a flight of stairs stairs and a small, single person lift.

The latest aargh! is available in the Shop - the theme this time is What is anarchism and how do we get there.  The issue opens with a letter written in 1934 by American anarchist Lucy Parsons. It’s a bleak letter - Lucy writes ‘ Anarchism is a dead issue in American life today. Radicalism has been blotted off the map of Europe. … Radicalism is at a low ebb today. We are living in strange times. Despotism is on horseback, riding at high speed. The worker is helpless; he has no voice in his mode or method of life – he just floats along on the tides of ill times. ’ Most of the articles in this edition of aargh! are also bleak, but it is worthwhile remembering that just two years after Lucy wrote in her letter that 'radicalism has been blotted off the map of Europe', revolution burgeoned in Spain. So read this issue and ponder - what is lying around the corner for us? Come to the Shop to get your copy, or if you're not in Wellington, get in contact with us via email or normal ...

The latest aargh! is available in the Shop - the theme this time is What is anarchism and how do we get there.  The issue opens with a letter written in 1934 by American anarchist Lucy Parsons. It’s a bleak letter - Lucy writes ‘ Anarchism is a dead issue in American life today. Radicalism has been blotted off the map of Europe. … Radicalism is at a low ebb today. We are living in strange times. Despotism is on horseback, riding at high speed. The worker is helpless; he has no voice in his mode or method of life – he just floats along on the tides of ill times. ’ Most of the articles in this edition of aargh! are also bleak, but it is worthwhile remembering that just two years after Lucy wrote in her letter that 'radicalism has been blotted off the map of Europe', revolution burgeoned in Spain. So read this issue and ponder - what is lying around the corner for us? Come to the Shop to get your copy, or if you're not in Wellington, get in contact with us via email or normal ...

If you are interested in reading about the Spanish Revolution, below are some pamphlets and zines we had for sale at the Freedom Shop's recent Spanish Revolution exhibition The Friends of Durruti A Chronology Noam Chomsky on Spanish Revolution Augustin Souchy 1936-39 The Spanish Civil War Martha Ackelsberg Mujeres Libres A Day Mournful and Overcast Isaac PuenteLibertarian Communism Life in Revolutionary Barcelona Poster Mujeres LibresWedding Factory Poster George OrwellBarcelona in 1936

If you are interested in reading about the Spanish Revolution, below are some pamphlets and zines we had for sale at the Freedom Shop's recent Spanish Revolution exhibition The Friends of Durruti A Chronology Noam Chomsky on Spanish Revolution Augustin Souchy 1936-39 The Spanish Civil War Martha Ackelsberg Mujeres Libres A Day Mournful and Overcast Isaac PuenteLibertarian Communism Life in Revolutionary Barcelona Poster Mujeres LibresWedding Factory Poster George OrwellBarcelona in 1936

There is going to be a Winter zine market at Thistle Hall in Wellington from 12-5pm on Saturday 18th July at Thistle Hall. The Freedom Shop will be there with a range of old and new zines, including:  Are we all New Zealanders now? A Maori response to the Pakeha quest for indigeneity //  The Myth of Passivity //  Tino Rangatiratanga; The Treaty of Waitangi Today // Troublemakers: Anarchism and Syndicalism: The Early Years of the libertarian movement in New Zealand //  Why Reject the Treaty? A Maori-Pakeha Viewpoint //  Anarchy: The Transmogrification of Everyday Life //  The Myth of the Queue // Bougainville: Independence Must Come Up //  For Kanak Independence: The fight against French rule in New Caledonia //  Juggling the Rainbow //   Out Here: Personal Writing from Queers in Aotearoa //  Luca //  Midnight Cowgirl //  The Murder of Tamasese //  Museifushugi: A brief history of Anarchism in Pre War Japan //  Radicl...

There is going to be a Winter zine market at Thistle Hall in Wellington from 12-5pm on Saturday 18th July at Thistle Hall. The Freedom Shop will be there with a range of old and new zines, including:  Are we all New Zealanders now? A Maori response to the Pakeha quest for indigeneity //  The Myth of Passivity //  Tino Rangatiratanga; The Treaty of Waitangi Today // Troublemakers: Anarchism and Syndicalism: The Early Years of the libertarian movement in New Zealand //  Why Reject the Treaty? A Maori-Pakeha Viewpoint //  Anarchy: The Transmogrification of Everyday Life //  The Myth of the Queue // Bougainville: Independence Must Come Up //  For Kanak Independence: The fight against French rule in New Caledonia //  Juggling the Rainbow //   Out Here: Personal Writing from Queers in Aotearoa //  Luca //  Midnight Cowgirl //  The Murder of Tamasese //  Museifushugi: A brief history of Anarchism in Pre War Japan //  Radic...