
ASN 7 Anarchist Futures

The ‘Anarchist Essays’ podcast was launched in September 2020 by Loughborough University’s Anarchism Research Group (ARG) and the journal Anarchist Studies. The series currently comprises 40 episodes which have been downloaded over 20,000 times in over 89 countries.
We have recently secured funding from The Lipman-Miliband Trust to support a series of paid contributions to the podcast from individuals in communities typically underrepresented in academia. To that end, we are seeking 5 ‘essays’ from individuals who may face barriers to inclusion in academia, including, but not limited to: scholars from BAME backgrounds; LBGTQI+ and non-binary scholars; disabled scholars and scholars marginalised due to economic class or other factors.
A typical episode of the podcast lasts 15 minutes (approximately 2000 words) and an honorarium of £150 will be paid for each contribution. These episodes will be released in December and January 2022/3.
If this is of interest, please send essay proposals of no-more than 150 words to Matthew Adams (m.s.adams@lboro.ac.uk) by 1st September 2022. There are no restrictions on the topic of the essays, but applicants are encouraged to listen to previous examples to gauge tone and content. Successful applicants will be notified by October 2022 and arrangements made for recording their essays.
Anarchist Studies Network // 7th International Conference // Online
Call for Papers: Anarchist Futures
Often called idealists, dreamers, unrealistic, anarchists have a complex relationship to the future. We imagine it, theorise it, work for it. We try to bring it to the present. We draw blueprints of what it might be like. We nurture connections that reflect our hopes. We imagine new worlds, living in the future whilst changing the present. However, utopian thought can be considered both an incentive and a discouragement to action. Its complexity and relationship to the future is particularly meaningful for anarchists. After all, how can political thought be fully understood without projecting ourselves and collectively into the future? Anarchist utopias from the early News Of Nowhere (William Morris, 1890) to The Dispossessed (Ursula K Le Guin, 1974) and other recent fiction has underlined the role of imagining the future in order to build a better world.
Anarchist Futures is a call to think about possibilities, gaps and interstices where anarchist futures exist. It is an encouragement to walk the bridge of time and make the future present. It is a hope that we can draw lines of solidarity and community which redefine the current state of affairs so that the future is anarchist.
The 7th International Conference of the Anarchist Studies Network will be held as an online event on 24th-26th August, subject to change to hybrid if we find a suitable location. ASN conferences aim to broach new frontiers in anarchist scholarship and encourage cross-pollination between disciplines. We also invite people who don’t usually reside in or feel comfortable in academia to do workshops, talk about their work, projects, plans and build connections.
The central theme for this conference is Anarchist Futures. A list of suggested topics includes, but is not limited to, the following:
As usual, ASN also welcomes submissions that do not reference the main topic but are related to anarchist theory and practice. We also welcome panels and streams on a particular topic. We particularly welcome submissions outside the traditional academic format, such as performances, exhibitions, workshops, among others. We are happy to accommodate papers in any language, but please send an abstract in English. Please indicate whether you want to present online or in person. Abstracts should be sent by 30 April 2022 to asn.conference@protonmail.com
We aim to facilitate and accommodate all accessibility needs, including but not limited to wheelchair access, hearing loops, quiet rooms, child-care and material support for low-waged participants. Please do get in touch with any specific questions, needs or comments and we will do our best to meet them.
Jesse Cohn, Kathy Ferguson, Ruth Kinna, Saul Newman & Alex Prichard
Call for Papers: Anarchist Futures
This roundtable explores the history, purpose and some of the insights and innovations in Anarchist Studies over the past fifteen years. It was recorded for submission to the Political Studies Association’s 2022 online conference, and features five longstanding members of the Anarchist Studies Network and the North American Anarchist Studies Network: Jesse Cohn, Kathy Ferguson, Ruth Kinna and Saul Newman. The discussion is chaired by Alex Prichard, co-convenor of the ASN from 2006. The roundtable will be published as a Critical Exchange in Contemporary Political Theory.
Find out more about the Anarchist Studies Network here: https://anarchiststudiesnetwork.org/ The Anarchist Studies Network is a Specialist Group of the UK Political Studies Association.
This video is brought to you by Loughborough University’s Anarchism Research Group. For more information on the ARG, visit https://www.lboro.ac.uk/subjects/poli… .
You can follow us on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/arglboro
Our music comes from Them’uns (featuring Yous’uns). Hear more at https://soundcloud.com/user-178917365
This year’s international ASN conference will be held online over the Hopin platform. Registration is now open.
We have a discord channel for attendees and members of the ASN so if you would like an invitation to join, or have any other queries please email asn.conference.6@mail.com.
In the meantime, check out the Anarchist Studies blog, the Anarchist Studies journal and the Anarchist Research Group (ARG) on Twitter and YouTube. Please also read our Code of Conduct.
Look forward to seeing you there!