The Personal, the Political, and the Publishing: The International Feminist Bookfairs, 1984 to 1994

This article examines the conflicts that often occurred in the context of the six International Feminist Bookfairs, held between 1984 and 1994 in various cities on three continents. Their organisers had to balance the demands of commercial publishing interests with those of feminist politics. The article addresses some of the political dilemmas and personal difficulties faced by the Bookfairs’ organisers, including language liberation, finances, racism, and ableism, but concludes that, whatever their difficulties, the International Feminist Bookfairs were valuable and often life-changing experiences. It includes the personal testimonies of participants in several of the Bookfairs.