Which book would you take to the square today?
Bookcamping is an online collaborative library that was initiated during the occupation of Spanish city squares on the days following the 15th of May, 2011 demonstrations. These occupations have become known as the 15M movement. At the time, the aim was to trace a bibliographical itinerary of the words and ideas that influenced the social and political context which gave rise to the protests. The initial motto was: “Which book would you take to your square? Because we don’t come out of nothing”.
Much has changed in the past four years since the wave of mobilization against austerity and social and economic inequality. Many of the demands of 15M and other similar movements have impacted debates and created cracks and shifts in the social and political landscape across the world, but have at times also been severely crushed under the relentless march of neoliberalism.
At the same time, the libraries that fed, and still feed us, contain more than books. They are made of relationships: between people, ideas and words. Of all the things we learned back then, there is still the impulse of sharing knowledge to help circulate thought and propel initiatives and relearn forms of political participation. But, what would it mean today to go back to the city squares? Which books would we take today? Which book would you take?
Bookcamping and Lorenzo Sandoval, along with A Public Library, invite you to choose one book or text based on this premise and join us on Wednesday August 5 for a collective reading. Starting at 7pm visitors will be sharing short passages from the book they brought along, tracing a new possible square of the here and now.
If you wish to participate please send a short email to info@apubliclibrary.org. Walk-ins are also welcome, but please bring along a book!
For more information on Bookcamping, see www.bookcamping.cc.