No expertise required,
Hydra Books is hosting a study circle for anyone interested
in getting to know Karl Marx’s by reading his original works on capitalism.
Marx devote his life to writing about this most contemporary of topics,
and the study circle will be a peaceful, non judgmental to look into his work and
relate it to the world today.
Please bring a donation, and a copy of the first part of Capital if you have one.
This is a weekly event starting in October 2013.
Filed under Events, Good Reads, History, Hydra Event
Date : 25 January 2012
Place: Hydra Books, 34 Old Market
Time: 7pm
Hydra Books is pleased to welcome Selma Dabbagh to the shop this Wednesday as part of our series of “Meet the Author” events.
Details of Selma’s book are here. If you want to listen back to today’s interview with Dr Phil Hammond on BBC Radio Bristol it is here with the interview taking place between 2:22 and 2:30 hours into the broadcast (11:22 am this morning). You may also be interested in the reviews in The Guardian or the Beirut Daily Star.
The book was published by Bloomsbury (UK) on 5 December 2011. Selma will be talking about the background to the book and doing a short reading. We will then have a discussion with her concerning Gaza and the novel.
Gaza is being bombed. After spending the night getting stoned watching it happen, Rashid wakes to hear that he’s got the escape route he’s been waiting for: a scholarship to London. His sister, Iman – frustrated by atrocities and inaction around her – has spent the night at a meeting that offers her nothing but more frustration. Grabbing desperately at another opportunity, she finds herself followed by an unknown fighter. A gripping tale of dispossession and belonging, treachery and loyalty, endurance and bravery, Out of It follows the lives of Rashid and Iman as they try to forge places for themselves in the midst of occupation, the growing divide between Palestinian factions, and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. Written with extraordinary humanity and sharp humour, this book re-defines Palestine and its people.
“An original and vivid voice. Full of energy, this is a new and welcome take on the Palestinian story.”
AHDAF SOUEIF
Selma Dabbagh is a British Palestinian writer of fiction based in London.
Her writing is mainly set in the contemporary Middle East. Recurring themes in her work are idealism (however futile), placelessness, political engagement (or lack thereof) and the impact of social conformity on individuals.
Filed under Events, Good Reads, New Books
Date: Thursday 26th January 2012
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: Hydra Books
Counterpower is the single idea which explains why social movements succeed or fail. It has helped win campaigns, secure human rights, stop wars and even bring down governments.
Change can and does happen. But why is it that some campaigns succeed while others fail? Is it luck, or is there a common strategy unifying those that have achieved their aim, and what can we learn from the past? In Counterpower, activist Tim Gee seeks to get to the root of how change happens by taking an in-depth look at the strategies and tactics that have contributed to the success (or otherwise) of some of the most prominent movements for change from India’s Independence Movement to the Arab Spring. He concludes that any campaign is winnable in theory, but only if we are aware of our power.
About the Author: Tim Gee delivers training sessions for political activists. He studied Politics at Edinburgh University, where he was also active in the student movement. Tim has also contributed to several campaigning guides and manuals.
Published by New Internationalist Books – People, Ideas and Actions for Global Justice
Filed under Events, Good Reads, New Books
The following meet the author events are taking place early this year
at Hydra Bookshop, 34 Old Market, Bristol BS2 0EZ
“The Safety Net” – by Clive Hendry
Thursday 05/01/2012 7:00 pm
The Safety Net is a fact based novel set in a hostel for homeless
people. The book follows eight people living and working in the hostel
as they struggle with the loss of independence within the bureaucracy
and inefficiencies of the welfare state. The novel is structured as a
series of overlapping short stories, one for each main character.
Each of them find somewhere to live in Webber House, a hostel for the
homeless. But in the bureaucratic, under-resourced world of support
services, will Webber House be the safety net they need?
“Out of It” – Selma Dabbagh
Wednesday 25/01/2012 7:00 pm
Gaza is being bombed. After spending the night getting stoned watching
it happen, Rashid wakes to hear that he’s got the escape route he’s been
waiting for: a scholarship to London. His sister, Iman – frustrated by
atrocities and inaction around her – has spent the night at a meeting
that offers her nothing but more frustration. Grabbing desperately at
another opportunity, she finds herself followed by an unknown fighter. A
gripping tale of dispossession and belonging, treachery and loyalty,
endurance and bravery, Out of It follows the lives of Rashid and Iman as
they try to forge places for themselves in the midst of occupation, the
growing divide between Palestinian factions, and the rise of Islamic
fundamentalism. Written with extraordinary humanity and sharp humour,
this book re-defines Palestine and its people.
“An original and vivid voice. Full of energy, this is a new and welcome
take on the Palestinian story.” AHDAF SOUEIF
Selma’s first novel, Out of It, is being published by Bloomsbury (UK)
on 5 December and Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Press (BQFP) on 17
December 2011. The US edition is coming out with Bloomsbury USA in June
2012.
“Counterpower, making change happen” – Tim Gee
Thursday 26/01/2012 7:00 pm
Counterpower is the single idea which explains why social movements
succeed or fail. It has helped win campaigns, secure human rights, stop
wars and even bring down governments.
Change can and does happen. But why is it that some campaigns succeed
while others fail? Is it luck, or is there a common strategy unifying
those that have achieved their aim, and what can we learn from the past?
In Counterpower, activist Tim Gee seeks to get to the root of how change
happens by taking an in-depth look at the strategies and tactics that
have contributed to the success (or otherwise) of some of the most
prominent movements for change from India’s Independence Movement to the
Arab Spring. He concludes that any campaign is winnable in theory, but
only if we are aware of our power.
About the Author: Tim Gee delivers training sessions for political
activists. He studied Politics at Edinburgh University, where he was
also active in the student movement. Tim has also contributed to several
campaigning guides and manuals.
“The Little Book of Prison, A Beginners Guide” – Frankie Owens
Tuesday 21/02/2012 7:00 pm
A Beginners Guide is the award winning book by ex prisoner Frankie
Owens. Written during his time behind bars, the book aims to be the
little helping hand that first time offenders might need as they enter
the system.
Frankie Owens wrote The Little Book of Prison, A Beginners Guide to
help future inmates, their families and loved ones to help make sense of
what they would all go through when someone goes to prison. He writes
from his own experience as a prisoner living at Her Majesties Pleasure.
The book won the 2011 Koestler Platinum award for non-fiction
http://koestlertrust.org.uk/ judged by Will Self.
“Our awards judges don’t give a Platinum Award lightly, and this book
is a winner on more than one level. It is a practical and totally frank
introduction to real life in the British prison system – probably the
best introduction there is. But it is also a wonderfully human narrative
and a sharply argued critique – the wit and wisdom of one inmate who
turns out to be a born writer. I was gripped from start to finish –
roared with laughter one minute, winced with pain the next, and was left
wondering why we have prisons at all.”
Filed under Events, Good Reads, New Books
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