Freedom Press is an

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...

publishing house and bookseller in Whitechapel,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. Founded in 1886, it is the largest anarchist publishing house in the country and the oldest of its kind in the English speaking world. It is based at 84b

Whitechapel High Street Whitechapel High Street is a street in the Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London. It is about 0.2 miles (350 m) long, making it “one of the shortest high streets in London”. It links Aldgate High Street to the south-west with ...

in the

East End of London The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

. Alongside its many books and pamphlets, the group also runs a news and comment-based website and until recently regularly published ''

Freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...

'', which was the only regular anarchist newspaper published nationally in the UK. The collective took the decision to close publication of the full newspaper in March 2014, with the intention of moving most of its content online and switching to a less regular freesheet for paper publication. Other regular publications by Freedom Press have included '' Freedom Bulletin'', ''

Spain and the World ''Spain and the World'' is the name of an anarchist publication initiated in response to the Spanish Civil War and the struggles of the CNT-FAI carrying analysis of events as they unfolded. In Britain, the '' Freedom Paper'' had begun to peter-o ...

'', '' Revolt!'' and ''

War Commentary ''War Commentary'' was a British World War II era Antimilitarism, anti-militarist Anti-war movement, anti-war Anarchism, anarchist newspaper published fortnightly in London by Freedom Press from 1939 to 1945. The paper was launched as a successor ...

''.

History

1886–1918

The core group which went on to form Freedom Press came out of a circle of anarchists with international connections formed around the London-based radical firebrand

Charlotte Wilson Charlotte Mary Wilson (6 May 1854, Kemerton, Worcestershire – 28 April 1944, Irvington-on-Hudson, New York) was an English Fabian and anarchist who co-founded '' Freedom'' newspaper in 1886 with Peter Kropotkin, and edited, published, ...

, a Cambridge-educated writer and public speaker who was in the process of breaking from Fabian Society orthodoxy. Among this founding group were Nikola Chaikovski,

Francesco Saverio Merlino Francesco Saverio Merlino (9 September 1856 – 30 June 1930) was an Italian lawyer, anarchist activist and theorist of libertarian socialism. Life Merlino was born on 9 September 1856 in Naples.anarchist-communist Anarcho-communism, also known as anarchist communism, (or, colloquially, ''ancom'' or ''ancomm'') is a political philosophy and anarchist school of thought that advocates communism. It calls for the abolition of private property but retains res ...

Peter Kropotkin Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin (; russian: link=no, Пётр Алексе́евич Кропо́ткин ; 9 December 1842 – 8 February 1921) was a Russian anarchist, socialist, revolutionary, historian, scientist, philosopher, and activis ...

, who had been invited to Britain by Wilson after his release from prison in France in January of that year. Wilson led a group of anarchists in founding Freedom as a

social anarchist Social anarchism is the branch of anarchism that sees individual freedom as interrelated with mutual aid.Suissa, Judith (2001). "Anarchism, Utopias and Philosophy of Education". ''Journal of Philosophy of Education'' 35 (4). pp. 627–646. . ...

and anarchist communist group in September 1886, just a month after losing a vote in which the Fabians formally backed the parliamentary route to socialism. Alongside starting ''Freedom'' newspaper as a monthly beginning in October, the group also produced other pamphlets and books, primarily translations of international writers including

Errico Malatesta Errico Malatesta (4 December 1853 – 22 July 1932) was an Italian anarchist propagandist and revolutionary socialist. He edited several radical newspapers and spent much of his life exiled and imprisoned, having been jailed and expelled from ...

Jean Grave Jean Grave (; October 16, 1854, Le Breuil-sur-Couze – December 8, 1939, Vienne-en-Val) was an important activist in the French anarchist and the international anarchist communism movements. He was the editor of three major anarchist periodica ...

Gustav Landauer Gustav Landauer (7 April 1870 – 2 May 1919) was one of the leading theorists on anarchism in Germany at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. He was an advocate of social anarchism and an avowed pacifist. In 1919, he ...

Max Nettlau Max Heinrich Hermann Reinhardt Nettlau (; 30 April 1865 – 23 July 1944) was a German anarchist and historian. Although born in Neuwaldegg (today part of Vienna) and raised in Vienna, he lived there until the anschluss to Nazi Germany in 193 ...

Domela Nieuwenhuis Ferdinand Jacobus Domela Nieuwenhuis (31 December 1846 – 18 November 1919) was a Dutch socialist politician and later a social anarchist and anti-militarist. He was a Lutheran preacher who, after he lost his faith, started a political fight f ...

Emile Pouget Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *''Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *''Emil and the Detective ...

Varlaam Cherkezov Varlam Cherkezishvili ( ka, ვარლამ ჩერქეზიშვილი) (15 September 1846 – 18 August 1925), also known as Warlaam Tcherkesoff or Varlam Nikolaevich Cherkezov in Russian manner, was a Georgian aristocrat and journal ...

Emma Goldman Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869 – May 14, 1940) was a Russian-born anarchist political activist and writer. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the ...

, Alexander Berkman

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (, , ; 15 January 1809, Besançon – 19 January 1865, Paris) was a French socialist,Landauer, Carl; Landauer, Hilde Stein; Valkenier, Elizabeth Kridl (1979) 959 "The Three Anticapitalistic Movements". ''European Socia ...

, Mikhail Bakunin and of course, Kropotkin himself. Discussion groups and public meetings were also begun early on. In the early years of the paper Wilson funded and edited it out of a number of different offices while Kropotkin became a regular writer and provided its star turn. In 1895 Wilson resigned after a long series of personal difficulties and

Alfred Marsh Alfred Marsh (3 November 1858 – 13 October 1914) was an anarchist-communist and long-time editor and stalwart of the newspaper ''Freedom''. Early years Marsh was born in Clerkenwell, London. Having lost his mother at an early age, he was ...

, a violinist, took over. Marsh solidified the press alongside close collaborator William Wess, and they were joined by ex-members of the defunct Socialist League's publication, ''

Commonweal Commonweal or common weal may refer to: * Common good, what is shared and beneficial for members of a given community * Common Weal, a Scottish think tank and advocacy group * Commonweal (magazine), ''Commonweal'' (magazine), an American lay-Cath ...

'' – John Turner, Tom Cantwell, and Joseph Presburg. Marsh was able to acquire more permanent premises and printing facilities at 127 Ossulston Street in 1898. ''Freedom'' collective member Donald Rooum notes: "Freedom Press stayed in Ossulston Street for the next 30 years. The hand-operated press dated from about 1820, and needed three operators; two to load the paper and pull the handle, and one to take the paper off." With the acquisition of its own press, albeit an elderly one, the group was able to publish more often, and in 1907 started a second paper, ''Voice of Labour'', which allowed former

Spectator ''Spectator'' or ''The Spectator'' may refer to: *Spectator sport, a sport that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its matches *Audience Publications Canada * ''The Hamilton Spectator'', a Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, ...

compositor

Thomas Keell Thomas Henry Keell (24 September 1866 – 26 June 1938) was an English compositor who edited the anarchist periodical ''Freedom''. In 1907, he attended the International Anarchist Congress of Amsterdam, where he was hailed by Emma Goldman as " ...

to become a permanent collective member, eventually taking over editorial duties at the paper in 1910 as Marsh's health declined. ''Freedom'' became one of the most widely read anarchist publications in the period leading up the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

; however, the collective split in 1914–15 over how anarchists should respond to the conflict, with Keel's anti-militarist position winning the backing of a majority of the national movement and Kropotkin leaving after he came out in favour of an Allied victory, a stance which would see him put his name to the

Manifesto of the Sixteen The ''Manifesto of the Sixteen'' (french: Manifeste des seize), or ''Proclamation of the Sixteen'', was a document drafted in 1916 by eminent anarchists Peter Kropotkin and Jean Grave which advocated an Allied victory over Germany and the Cen ...

in 1916. Keell and his companion Lilian Wolfe would go on to be imprisoned for the paper's staunch opposition to the war in 1916, though Wolfe was quickly released.

1918–1945

As with many other anarchist enterprises, ''Freedom'' had trouble maintaining itself after the war ended as many activists had died and the seeming success of Marxist-Leninism in Russia drew British radicals into the orbit of an ascendant

Communist Party of Great Britain The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was the largest communist organisation in Britain and was founded in 1920 through a merger of several smaller Marxist groups. Many miners joined the CPGB in the 1926 general strike. In 1930, the CPG ...

. While donations allowed it to remain solvent for over a decade and several of its core group remained, notably John Turner who became its publisher from 1930 until his death in 1934, a crushing blow came in 1928 when the Ossulston Street building was demolished as part of a

slum clearance Slum clearance, slum eviction or slum removal is an urban renewal strategy used to transform low income settlements with poor reputation into another type of development or housing. This has long been a strategy for redeveloping urban communities; ...

scheme. Keell retired shortly afterward and while the collective continued to publish, it produced only an irregular newsletter over the course of the next eight years The paper was relaunched 10 years later as energy and interest in the anarchists swelled around the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

, beginning with the publication of a fortnightly publication, ''Spain And The World'' (1936–38), which was renamed to ''Revolt!'', and then ''

'' (1939–45), before being renamed back to ''Freedom'' in August 1945. It was edited by Vero Recchioni (who later changed his name to Vernon Richards), the son of an Italian anarchist, and Marie Louise Berneri, the daughter of

Camillo Berneri Camillo Berneri (also known as Camillo da Lodi; May 28, 1897 – May 5, 1937) was an Italian professor of philosophy, anarchist militant, propagandist and theorist. He was married to Giovanna Berneri, and was father of Marie-Louise Berneri and ...

, an Italian anarchist who was assassinated in Spain. The Italian anarchist movement had been well-established in London since the 1920s. Much of the bookshop's history through this time was tied up with Richards, who was the driving force behind both the press and the newspaper from the 1930s until late in the '90s. Richards teamed up with Keel and Wolff as publisher and administrator respectively - the latter would remain so until the age of 95. In 1942 the press was able to buy a printing firm, Express Printers, at 84a Whitechapel High Street, which it did with the help of a rival printing firm and a supporters' group, the Anarchist Federation, which would become the nominal owner of the title until it declared itself autonomous in the 1950s. With an avowedly anti-war stance, the paper would continue to publish throughout the war, and would face prosecution for its stance only in peacetime Britain.

Post-War

''War Commentary'' was published with an overtly anti-militarist message, co-operating heavily with the pacifist movement, and in November 1944 the homes of several collective members were raided along with the offices of the press itself. When Richards,

Marie-Louise Berneri Marie Louise Berneri (born Maria Luisa Berneri; 1 March 1918 – 13 April 1949) was an anarchist activist and author. Born in Italy, she spent much of her life in Spain, France, and England. She was involved with the short-lived publication, ' ...

John Hewetson John Christopher Hewetson (10 January 1913 – 20 December 1990) was a British anarchist doctor, writer and newspaper editor. During the Second World War he was an editor of the anarchist newspaper '' War Commentary'', which saw him imprisoned o ...

and

Philip Sansom Philip Richard Sansom (19 September 1916 – 24 October 1999) was a British anarchist writer and activist. Sansom began working life as a commercial artist. During the Second World War he was a conscientious objector, and worked in farming for ...

were arrested at the beginning of 1945 for attempting "to undermine the affections of members of His Majesty's Forces,"''George Orwell at Home'' pp 71-72 Freedom Press (1998)

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

, E. M. Forster, Augustus John,

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...

Herbert Read Sir Herbert Edward Read, (; 4 December 1893 – 12 June 1968) was an English art historian, poet, literary critic and philosopher, best known for numerous books on art, which included influential volumes on the role of art in education. Read ...

(chairman), Osbert Sitwell and George Woodcock set up the

Freedom Defence Committee The Freedom Defence Committee was a UK-based organisation set up on 3 March 1945 to "uphold the essential liberty of individuals and organisations, and to defend those who are persecuted for exercising their rights to freedom of speech, writing an ...

to "uphold the essential liberty of individuals and organizations, and to defend those who are persecuted for exercising their rights to freedom of speech, writing and action."Orwell, Sonia and Angus, Ian (eds.). ''The Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell Volume 4: In Front of Your Nose (1945-1950)'' (Penguin) In 1961, Freedom began producing ''Anarchy'', a well-regarded series with noted front pages designed by Rufus Segar and seven years later the press moved to its current premises at 84b Whitechapel High Street after Whitechapel Art Gallery bought out 84A. At this point the press was entirely owned and run by Richards, though he would transfer ownership of the building to a company limited by guarantee and without share capital, The Friends Of Freedom Press, in 1982. Richards also relinquished control over the paper's running from 1968, though would return periodically in editorially difficult moments and retained overall control of the press. In 1981 the printing function of the press was once again lost, with several members of the printing collective spinning off those functions into

Aldgate Press Freedom Press is an anarchist publishing house and bookseller in Whitechapel, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1886, it is the largest anarchist publishing house in the country and the oldest of its kind in the English speaking world. It is ba ...

using money raised by Richards. The bookshop was repeatedly attacked in the 1990s by

neo-fascist Neo-fascism is a post-World War II far-right ideology that includes significant elements of fascism. Neo-fascism usually includes ultranationalism, racial supremacy, populism, authoritarianism, nativism, xenophobia, and anti-immigration sent ...

group Combat 18 during street conflicts between fascist and anti-fascist groups in the East End and eventually firebombed in March 1993. The building still bears some visible damage from the attacks, and metal guards have been installed on the ground floor windows and doors, intended to ward against any further violence. With Richards' death in 2001, a succession of new editors were brought on board, including members of what would become the libcom collective, a web-based group which now maintains the largest online library of anarchist texts in the English-speaking world. A second arson attack occurred on 1 February 2013, causing significant damage, but no-one was hurt. Donations allowed the press to survive, however cash losses from the paper forced its closure as a monthly publication in 2014, though free versions of the paper continue to be produced. In 2017 the press launched an archive, digitising more than 1,500 back issues of the paper covering the 1886–2020 period. In March 2018 Freedom was made a core participant in the

Undercover Policing Inquiry The Undercover Policing Inquiry or Pitchford Inquiry is an independent public inquiry into Covert policing in the United Kingdom, undercover policing in England and Wales. It was announced by Theresa May, the United Kingdom Home Secretary on 12 M ...

, following confirmation that former undercover Met officer Roger Pearce had written in the paper in 1980–81, mostly on Northern Ireland.

Organisation

Today Freedom Press remains as a functioning publishing house with much of its printing still being done by

. The Freedom collective runs an open meeting and exhibition space called Decenter, alongside maintaining an archive, bookshop and website. It shares the premises with Dog Section Press, the Anarchist Federation, th
National Bargee Travellers Association
the Advisory Service for Squatters and

Corporate Watch Corporate Watch (The Corporate Watch Co-Operative Ltd.) is a research group based in the UK. It describes itself as a "research group that helps people stand up against corporations and capitalism." And as a "not-for-profit co-operative providing c ...

. The archive of the press is held at Bishopsgate Library, and much correspondence from its early period can be found at the

International Institute of Social History The International Institute of Social History (IISH/IISG) is one of the largest archives of labor and social history in the world. Located in Amsterdam, its one million volumes and 2,300 archival collections include the papers of major figur ...

in Amsterdam.

Authors and notable writers

Having had a close affinity with Colin Ward and Vernon Richards, Freedom Press has produced much of their extensive back catalogue, in addition to titles by Clifford Harper,

Nicolas Walter Nicolas Hardy Walter (22 November 1934 – 7 March 2000) was a British anarchist and atheist writer, speaker and activist. He was a member of the Committee of 100 and Spies for Peace, and wrote on topics of anarchism and humanism. Background ...

Murray Bookchin Murray Bookchin (January 14, 1921 – July 30, 2006) was an American social theorist, author, orator, historian, and political philosopher. A pioneer in the environmental movement, Bookchin formulated and developed the theory of social ec ...

, Gaston Leval,

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...

Harold Barclay Harold B. Barclay (January 3, 1924 – 20 December 2017) was a professor emeritus in anthropology at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta. His research focused on rural society in modern Egypt and the northern Arab Sudan as well as polit ...

and many others, including 118 issues of the journals ''

Anarchy Anarchy is a society without a government. It may also refer to a society or group of people that entirely rejects a set hierarchy. ''Anarchy'' was first used in English in 1539, meaning "an absence of government". Pierre-Joseph Proudhon adopted ...

'', edited by Colin Ward and 43 issues of ''The Raven: Anarchist Quarterly''. Over the years the ''Freedom'' editorial group has included

Jack Robinson Jack Robinson may refer to: Sportspeople *Jack Robinson (catcher) (1880–1921), American baseball player *Jack Robinson (footballer, born 1870) (1870–1931), England, Derby County and Southampton football goalkeeper * Jack Robinson (footballer, ...

, Pete Turner, Colin Ward,

Alan Albon Alan Albon (24 August 1921 – 30 March 1989) was a British anarchist, pacifist and publisher. He was born in Edmonton on 24 August 1921 and died at Heathrow on 30 March 1989. Publishing Early on in his career, he served as an editor and columnist ...

John Rety John Rety, born Janos Réty (8 December 1930 – 3 February 2010) was a Hungarian-British anarchist, poet, publisher and chessplayer. Life Born in Budapest, Hungary, Rety attended an English nursery school in Budapest. A child when World War ...

, Nino Staffa, Dave Mansell, Gillian Fleming, Mary Canipa,

Arthur Moyse Arthur Moyse (21 June 1914 – 22 February 2003) was an Anglo-Irish anarchist, artist and writer. Biography In his youth he was actively involved in political activity including the battle of Cable Street in 1936. He also saw active service ...

, John Lawrence and many others. Clifford Harper maintained a loose association for 30 years. Subjects of recent books include Emiliano Zapata,

Nestor Makhno Nestor Ivanovych Makhno, The surname "Makhno" ( uk, Махно́) was itself a corruption of Nestor's father's surname "Mikhnenko" ( uk, Міхненко). ( 1888 – 25 July 1934), also known as Bat'ko Makhno ("Father Makhno"),; According to ...

Anti-Fascist Action Anti-Fascist Action (AFA) was a militant anti-fascist organisation, founded in the UK in 1985 by a wide range of anti-racist and anti-fascist organisations. It was active in fighting far-right organisations, particularly the National Front an ...

and in 2021 the autobiography of "Greek Robin Hood"

Vassilis Palaiokostas Vassilis Palaiokostas ( el, Βασίλης Παλαιοκώστας; born 17 May 1966 at Moschofyto, Trikala (regional unit), Trikala regional unit) is a Greeks, Greek Bank robbery, bank robber and fugitive known as the "Greek Robin Hood" for his ...

. At the end of 2018 the press published ''A Beautiful Idea: History of the Freedom Press Anarchists'', to mark its 50th year at 84b Angel Alley. Notable modern authors include the Spanish political philosopher Thomas Ibanez (''Anarchism is Movement'', 2019) and anthropologist Brian Morris (''A Defence of Anarchist Communism'', 2022).

Freedom Paper editors

(Note: Non-comprehensive list) * 1886–95:

* 1895–1910:

* 1910–28: John Keel * 1930–34: John Turner * 1936–64: Vernon Richards * 1936–49: Marie Louise Berneri * 1940s:

* 1940–60: Colin Ward * 1940s-1969

* 1964–69:

* 1970s: Jack Robinson, Peter Turner, John Lawrence, Mary Canipa * 1976–1980s: David Peers * 1970s–1980s: Stu Stuart, Donald Rooum, Vernon Richards * 1980s: Gillian Fleming * 1990s–2001: Charles Crute * 2001–04: Toby Crow * 2003–04: Steven, Jim Clarke * November 2006 – May 2008: Matt B * 2004 – March 2009: Rob Ray * 2009–12: Dean Talent * 2012–13: Matt Black * 2013–14: Charlotte Dingle

Published works

Among the most popular books published by the press are: *'' Anarchism and Anarcho-syndicalism'', Rudolf Rocker *''

'',

*''

Anarchy in Action ''Anarchy in Action'' is a book exploring anarchist thought and practice, written by Colin Ward and first published in 1973. The book is a seminal introduction to anarchism but differs considerably to others by concentrating on the possibility o ...

'', Colin Ward *''Beating the Fascists: the Untold Story of AFA'', Sean Birchall *''

Fields, Factories and Workshops Tomorrow ''Fields, Factories, and Workshops'' is an 1899 book by anarchist Peter Kropotkin that discusses the decentralization of industries, possibilities of agriculture, and uses of small industries. Before this book on economics, Kropotkin had been k ...

'',

*''

at Home (and Among the Anarchists)'', Vernon Richards *''Why Work?'' (now in 3rd edition) *''Wildcat Anarchist Comics'', Donald Rooum

Gallery

Image:Freedom2.JPG, Outside the Freedom Press building at night, 2006 Image:Freedom Press.jpg, Freedom Press sign before the 2013 fire File:Burned Freedom Press Archives 2013.jpg, Burned Freedom Press Archives in 2013

References

External links

Freedom Press websiteFreedom News siteDigitised Freedom Newspaper archiveFreedom Press
documents from the

Kate Sharpley Library The Kate Sharpley Library (or KSL) is a library dedicated to anarchist texts and history. Started in 1979 and reorganized in 1991, it currently holds around ten thousand English language volumes, pamphlets and periodicals. __NOTOC__ Namesake The K ...

libcom.org
British libertarian communist website linked to Freedom Press

(via

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

)
Freedom at the International Institute of Social HistoryFreedom at the Bishopsgate LibraryFreedom at Sparrows' Nest Library
{{Use dmy dates, date=December 2019 Anarchist organisations in the United Kingdom Media and communications in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Anarchist publishing companies Anarchist collectives Publishing companies established in 1886 Publishing collectives Infoshops Bookshops in London 1886 establishments in the United Kingdom