Celebrating a Decade of Radicalism: The 10th Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair (PRINT EDITION)

The word 'radical' means different things to different people, but is most often employed in association with politics. The word 'radical' also often scares people with its connotations. The media especially seem to have lost the power to be 'radical' in the last few years, instead conforming to an increasingly politically correct approach. Fear not, though, as this October there is an event in Edinburgh that will not only help our understanding of what being radical can mean nowadays, but will also make us think more - the Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair. Organised by the Edinburgh based independent bookshop Word Power, the Fair, now in its tenth year, is more than just an ordinary book event. "The Independent Radical Book Fair is an alternative to more mainstream book events such as the Edinburgh Book Festival," Elaine Henry from the Word Power Bookshop says, "it is an opportunity for small publishers to display their work, for authors to meet new readers, but, above all, it's for people to discuss ideas."

This year the Radical Book Fair promises to be unmissable thanks to the diversity of its programme. Physicist, ecologist, activist and winner of the 1993 Right Livelihood Award (also known as the alternative Nobel Prize) Vandana Shiva will open the event. It then features lectures by the independent scholar and journalist Achin Vanaik, the founder of Z Magazine Michael Albert, the thinker and activist George Monbiot and Scottish favourite James Kelman, to mention just a few. There will be a photographic exhibition entitled When the World Said No to War, to be opened by Rose Gentle, mother of the 19 year-old soldier Gordon Gentle who was killed in Iraq in 2004, plus screenings of films and documentaries such as Horace Ove's 'Dream To Change The World', about activist, trade unionist, writer, publisher and filmmaker John La Rose.

Reading through the event programme, you'd think there is a huge team behind it, connecting writers, thinkers and activists all over the world, but in actual fact only two people organise it. "It's a huge labour of love," Elaine explains, "and we work really hard making sure all the events are accessible. We first started the Radical Book Fair at the McDonald Library with just a few events, but we kept on growing every year and, as time passed, we became more established. Now there are people who travel to come and see our Book Fair while we also invite internationally known speakers. The things that really help us are that we have a lot of experience - the Word Power Bookshop is going to turn twelve in November - and that a lot of writers give us their support."

Elaine is positive about the future of the event: "The Independent Radical Book Fair is going from strength to strength: this year we extended it by one day and I hope in future it will last longer and will attract more writers. I also hope that growing in popularity will mean the event will play an important role in bringing people together. If it will inspire even one more person to write, it will be great."

Another world is definitely possible and radical books can help in making it, but it's people gathered together listening to each other, talking and developing new ideas, who will create it. "A Luta Continua", or 'the struggle goes on', said a Pan African freedom cry: there might be many challenges along the way, but the struggle of the Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair continues: to create a better world by making people think.