Thinking as Anarchists: Selected Writings from Volontá - Paperback

by Giovanna Gioli (Editor), Hamish Kallin (Editor)

In the symbolic year of 1984, thousands of anarchists from all over the world gathered in Venice to explore the future of their shared ideal. This collection brings together 13 influential papers from that moment, centred around the Italian anarchist journal Volontà and the international circle connected to it. Initially published from the early 1980s to the late 1990s, most of these papers have never appeared in English before.

Back Jacket

'Gustav Landauer implored anarchists to resist translation and learn how to 'think and feel' unfamiliar languages. Gioli and Kallin do just that. Their beautiful, illuminating and inspiring collection turns an obscured history into a future-gazing meditation on domination and libertarian intervention, teaching us how to think 'about' and 'for' anarchism and collapse that distinction.' Ruth Kinna, Loughborough University 'This book marks a pivotal moment in the history of anarchism - an international gathering held in Venice, Italy in 1984 - that gave birth to a critical (hitherto unpublished) anthology compiled by activists associated with the Italian journal Volontà. Charting new avenues for anarchy's realization, the anthology addresses prescient issues such as liberatory power, patriarchy, ecological transformation, state repression, and "utopian" economics. Giovanna Gioli and Hamish Kallin have combined the original anthology with additional articles from A/Rivista Anarchica and other sources, culminating with a retrospective history of Volontà. Interweaving history, theory, and practice, Thinking as Anarchists is an extraordinary achievement.' Allan Antliff, Director of the University of Victoria's Anarchist Archive In the symbolic year of 1984, thousands of anarchists from all over the world gathered in Venice to explore the future of their shared ideal. This collection brings together a series of influential papers from that moment, centred around the Italian anarchist journal Volontà and the international circle connected to it. Initially published from the early 1980s to the late 1990s, most of these papers have never appeared in English before. Together, they form a treasure trove of anti-authoritarian thinking on issues as diverse as authority, the state, utopia, freedom, patriarchy and how we might envisage an anarchist approach to economics. Remarkably far-ranging in their points of reference, these interventions are truly interdisciplinary seeking to reinvigorate the intellectual heart of the anarchist ideal. This book is essential for historians of anarchism and an engaging intervention for all those who theorise for a radically better world. Key features:  The newly translated and fully annotated text allows readers unfamiliar with the context or political background to engage with these arguments for the first time.  The introduction situates these papers in their political and historical context and considers the experience of the journal Volontà in relation to emergent forms of autonomous Marxism, the 'new' anarchism and poststructuralism.  Features a wealth of vibrant photographs and visual materials, providing a glimpse into the striking richness and creativity of anarchist aesthetics at the time.  Turns the debate to the future where in an era of ecological catastrophe and resurgent fascism, it is more vital than ever that activists and academics see the importance of thinking as anarchists. Giovanna Gioli is a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Bath Spa University. Hamish Kallin is a Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Edinburgh.

Author Biography

Giovanna Gioli is Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Bath Spa University. She is co-editor of Water Security Across the Gender Divide (Springer, 2018). Prior to Bath Spa she held a lectureship at the University of Edinburgh. She has also worked in the development sector for multiple organisations, including the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Hamish Kallin is Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Edinburgh. He has published many journal articles, mainly on gentrification and housing.