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Home » Arts » Toronto’s second annual Anti-Capitalist Book Fair connects activists and progressive literature

The book fair was started in 2024 to help better spread revolutionary ideas in Canadian society.

One of the tables at the Anti-Capitalist Book Fair. Credit: Camilo Cahis Marxist Publishing House / Instagram Credit: Camilo Cahis Marxist Publishing House / Instagram

The second annual Anti-Capitalist Book Fair took place in Toronto on October 19.

Created by Camilo Cahis Marxist Publishing House, the Anti-Capitalist Book Fair aimed to supply leftists, curious onlookers, and seasoned activists in Toronto with progressive literature.

Christina Olanick, a graphic designer and organizer at Camilo Cahis Marxist Publishing House, says the book fair started because there’s a ‘real hunger’ for socialist and communist ideas.

“It’s really obvious that capitalism isn’t working,” Olanick said of the importance of the book fair. “There’s these huge problems that are facing the world, everything from the climate catastrophe or the genocide in Gaza, the cost of living that the so called ‘trusted institutions of the state’ are not able to deal with, like they weren’t able to deal with the pandemic. So, the status quo is clearly broken, but…what can we do about it?”

What they chose to do about it, was to start the book fair in 2024.

“We need revolutionary ideas in society. We’re trying to find new ways of getting these ideas out there,” Olanick explained.

There were almost 20 publishers, magazines, political organizations, and independent artists involved.

Attendees browsed books from AK Press, or spoke to organizations such as the Democratic Socialists of Canada. One of the groups tabling at the fair was Sick Stories. They are a Toronto based, radical bookstore that stocks and amplifies books and zines written by disabled authors.

Sophie Lyons, founder of Sick Stories, explained that the group went from a blog, to workshops that taught about accessibility in the workplace. They then transitioned into micro-publishing, and later traditional publishing.

“Many forms of activism aren’t accessible for a lot of folks with disabilities, so this is a way to be educated, get informed and meet like-minded community members,” Lyons said of Sick Stories’ involvement with the book fair.

Chief Operating Officer, Bella Iannetta, went on to explain that books were a great entry point for people to care about activism.

“We’re seeing the rise of fascism, racism, homophobia, south of the border, and we’re seeing that trickle up north as well. Within Canadian borders, there’s a long history of saying, ‘We’re so nice and friendly all the time,’” they said.

“Then, you dig a bit deeper, and the discrimination towards Black, Indigenous, immigrant communities, the disabled communities, is so rampant that we need to use our voices to highlight the hypocrisy and the discrimination that our communities face,” said Iannetta.

“Revolutionaries have written about their debates, theories, ideas, and their experiences. We have 200 years of revolutionary experience that we can draw from that are in these books, and I think it’s really important for us to learn from those, to learn from the past, so that we can build a better future,” said Olanick.

Olanick, Iannetta, and Lyons share hopes that the book fair will bring communities together to find the answers they are looking for.

“I’m hoping that they not only find the ideas, but get involved as well. You know, Marx said that the philosophers have only interpreted the world. The point, however, is to change it.”

You can check out the founders of the Anti-Capitalist Book fair here: https://www.instagram.com/ccmarxisthouse/?hl=en

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Ashleigh-Rae was the 2025 recipient of the Jack Layton Journalism for Change Fellowship. They are a Black, queer journalist, facilitator, and community member dedicated to liberation for all. They have... More by Ashleigh-Rae Thomas