For reasons too unimportant to discuss here, the 20^th anniversary blog for An Anarchist FAQ (AFAQ) ended up on my personal blog rather than AFAQ’s “official” one. Now I correct this by reposting it here as well as taking the opportunity to preface it with a few comments to mark 21 years since AFAQ was officially launched.

Many men, I know, speak of liberty without understanding it; they know neither the science of it, nor even the sentiment. They see in the demolition of reigning Authority nothing but a substitution of names or persons; they don’t imagine that a society could function without masters or servants, without chiefs and soldiers; in this they are like those reactionaries who say: ‘There are always rich and poor, and there always will be. What would become of the poor without the rich? They would die of hunger!’ - Joseph Déjacque (Down with the Bosses!, 5)

An Anarchist FAQ is now at version 15.0. This release is a revision of the appendix replying to David McNally's attack on anarchism and defend of Leninism:

“It is impossible to do justice to the 1,136 pages in these two volumes… It will serve as an invaluable reference to those unfamiliar with our ideas and our movement, or to those who have recently embraced anarchism but have yet to explore and reflect upon the tradition.” (Anarcho-Syndicalist Review, no. 59)

To mark volume 2 of An Anarchist FAQ being published, there is an event at Housmans bookshop in London on Wednesday 20th March, 7pm. The meeting will start off by flying through a brief history of Anarchism and highlighting the major traditions within it, before opening it up to the floor for questions and discussion. Event details are:

‘Everything you ever wanted to know about Anarchism, but were afraid to ask’

To mark the publication of volume 2 of An Anarchist FAQ, there will be a book launch for at Glasgow's Anarchist End of Year event:

7pm
14th of December 2012
Kinning Park Complex
Cornwall Street
Glasgow
(next to Kinning Park Undergound)

As well as the author speaking, there will be a discussion period followed by an Anarchist Social. A Radical Independent Bookfair mini-stall will present.

Volumes 1 and 2 of An Anarchist FAQ are now both in print. Volume 1 was published by AK Press in 2008 while volume 2 was published in 2012.

We would urge you to buy direct from AK Press or from your local radical bookshop rather than a corporate bookshop, for obvious reasons.

This year will see the publication of volume 2 of An Anarchist FAQ (AFAQ). The exact publication date is not known yet, however I think we can safely say that it will be out for this year’s London Bookfair in October. I hope, as before, to do the launch in my hometown of Glasgow. As a tester, and to show AFAQ is on-going, here is the final draft of the introduction of volume 2.

As part of getting volume 2 of An Anarchist FAQ, sections I and J have been revised. This invoked fixing typos, although quotes by Proudhon are now sourced (when possible) to the new anthology of his writtings Property is Theft! (AK Press, 2011). The revised sections are:

“This . . . provides a huge amount of well-sourced material to assist a general reader or researcher seeking an introduction to many of the main arguments and themes that have engaged, and continue to interest, anarchist scholars and activists . . . The FAQ is rightly recognised as a considerable achievement and useful contribution for those just encountering anarchist ideas as well as those who wish to expand their knowledge. I heartily recommend it.” 

Anarchist Studies, vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 111-2