The Freedom Shop

31/07/2026

Foreword by Richard Falk, John Dugard, and Michael Lynk
Israel's genocide in Palestine and the complicity of powerful Western states is undermining international human rights anc the UN system. The United States has imposed sanctions on lawyers, UN experts, and Palestinian officials in an attempt, to bully and intimidate them into silence. One prominent example is UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who has played an important role in documenting Israel's atrocities and those who profit from its oppression of Palestinians
This book compiles Albanese's indispensable and damning reports on Israel's conduct in Palestine since October 2023 First outlining the case that this period should be understood as a genocide, Albanese goes on to explain how the ongoing violence fits into a longer history of settler colonialism and finally presents a devastating indictment against the international corporations that treat mass killing and destruction as a business opportunity.
The volume also features a reflection by Albanese on the current state of affairs: revelations by her predecessors Richard Falk, John Dugard, and Michael Lynk of their experiences as UN special rapporteurs; and a preface by Lex Takkenberg, a 30-year veteran of UNRWA, co-authored with scholar Mandy Turner.
All royalties from sales of the book will be donated to UNRWA, the UN agency which supports Palestinian refugees.

31/07/2026

"A remarkable storv ... Fatemeh Karimi should be commended for her outstanding telling of it" Janet Afary, author of Sexual Politics in Modern Iran

"Reveals how Kurdish women's military, intellectual, and everyday contributions in the post-revolutionary era challenged traditional hierarchies" Rataneh Farahani, Professor, Stockholm University

"Groundbreaking ... Brilliantly intertwines gender, class, national. and political struggle in Kurdistan" Pedram Baldari. Assistant Professor, University of Michigan

Kurdistan has a storied and turbulent past, marked by a relentless struggle for self-determination and survival. Kurdish women have been at the forefront of this struggle: their lives are a testament to resilience in the face of relentless adversity, as they navigate the complexities of revolution and the quest for freedom and equality.
This groundbreaking book is the first comprehensive study of leftist women guerrillas in Iranian Kurdistan, predating the emergence of women fighters in Rojava by more than three decades. Focusing on Komala (1979-1991), a radical Kurdish-Iranian organization pioneering the inclusion of women as combatants, Women of Komala examines the lives and political participation of marginalized women.
Drawing on extensive interviews, the book analyses familial, social, and organizational obstacles; gendered organizational dynamics; patriarchy: the issue of children; and the sexual division of roles within families and the party. This rich account situates Komala within the political context of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and its aftermath, shedding light on the importance of critical reflection on gender relations during this pivotal period in the history of Kurdistan and Iran.

FATEMEH KARIM| is an independent researcher, women's rights activist and member of the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). She holds a PhD from the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences EHEss), Paris.

27/07/2026

Hey people in Tāmaki Makaurau! Having missed last year, the Freedom Shop will have a stall at zinefest, at the Auckland Art Gallery this Saturday, August 1st.

Pamphlets, books, badges and all sorts of goodies old and new, including this new one (pictured) by me, and hopefully (if we get it printed tomorrow) the truly important essay from Leah Kaplan Sone Ma A'poi: The Witch Team which covers global solidarity, indigenous modernism, post-leftist anti-colonial revolution and the conflict in Burma from the perspective of a participant in a mostly Christian women's drone unit fighting in the Chin hills.

17/07/2026

These writers are the hopes of a cruel world, the humanity of an inhumane era, the resolve in a time of evil. Their voices will bellow through the ages." OWEN JONES

"A rebellion against the singular story An insightful, multifaceted glimpse into the besieged Gaza Strip, where millions of people continue to confron a genocide waged by an Israeli regime." MOHAMMED EL-KURD

"As a genocide unfolds right before us, this book will stand as a testimony to this shocking and inhuman moment in history." NEEL MUKHERJEE
"A testament to the courage and humanity of Gaza's young writers. Through their raw and unflinching voices, these stories become acts of defiance, a refusal to be silenced, a demand to be seen, and a celebration of the resilience that endures even in the face of erasure."
SONIIA FAILEIR

"A moving and powerful collection of Palestinian voices from this groundbreaking community of writers is a victory for the human spirit in the face of some of history's darkest forces."
MATT KENNARI

17/07/2026

Livelv, incendiary, and inspiring, No Harmless Power follows the life of Nestor who organized a seven-million-strong anarchist polity during the Makhno, Russian Civil War and had a long and active career during his exile in Paris, Both timely and timeless, this biography reveals Makhno's rapidly changing world and his place in it. He moved swiftly from peasant youth to prisoner to revolutionary anarchist leader. This book also chronicles the friends and enemies he made along the way: Lenin, Trotsky, Kropotkin, Alexander Berkman, Emma Goldman, Ida Mett, and others.
No Harmless Power is the first text to fully delve into Makhno's sympathy for the downtrodden, the trap of personal heroism, his improbable victories, unlikely friendships, and his alarming lack of gun safety in meetings, Makhno and the movement he began are seldom mentioned in most mainstream histories- Western or Russian--mostly on the grounds that acknowledging anarchist poli- ties calls into question the inevitability of the nation-state and unjust hierarchies.
With illustrations by N.0. Bonzo and Kevin Matthews, this is a fresh, humorous, and necessary look at an underexamined corner of history as well as a deep exploration of the meaning--and value, if any-of heroism as history.

"Charlie Allison's examination of Nestor Makhno's life is the most well-researched and cool-headed assessment I have read. . . . I cannot recommend it more enthusiastically. To read Allison today is to understand not only yesterday's conflicts but also tomorrow's politics."
-Michael Moorcock, author of the Pvat Quartet

06/07/2026

A GENRE-BENDING EXPLORATION OF THAT MOST ELEMENTAL FORCE- WATER-THROUGH INDIGENOUS STORYTELLING, PERSONAL MEMORY, AND THE WORK OF INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS AND WRITERS
In this inventive work, Simpson reimagines water as a catalyst for radical transformation, capable of birthing a new world

"Simpson offers a tremendous gift for those seeking a shared map for reciprocity, accountability, and resilience." -Eve L. Enma

"To make the world again, we are invited to decenter ourselves and join the fow. A powerful contribution to organizing and to being." Gua De t

"The answers water provides are healing, regenerative, and flowing in ways that breach and dissolve the rigid social hierarchies of colonialism and capitalism. Simpson asks herself and thus the reader, do you believe in water?" Nih EAes

"A book of immense regenerative power, written by one of the few truly incendiary, indispensable writers working today." Omass El ALlono

"A beautiful. meditative. and clear-eved reflection on our shared life on a fragile planet.' /rin Walueol
LEANNE BETASAMOSAKE SIMPSON is a Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer, musician, and artist. She is the author of eight books, including As We Have Always Done and, with Robyn Maynard, Rehearsals for Living.

06/07/2026

AS the world grapples with the legacy of crimes of enslavement, colonialism genocide and mass killings imprisonment and murder of children, attempts at eliminating cultures and history of Indigenous peoples, looting and other crimes against humanity, the performance of public atonement has become increasingly prevalent. Apologies from state actors and institutions are issued in solemn ceremonies, often acknowledging the collective guilt for historical atrocities,
Despite the solemnity of these events, there is a growing scepticism surrounding the sincerity of these apologies, particularly when they are not accompanied by tangible reparations, healing, reconciliation or systemic change. This scepticism is rooted in a perception that these acts of contrition are sometimes less about making amends to the aggrieved and more about assuaging the guilt of the aggressors and maintaining the status quo, providing the illusion of progress without the substance.
In this compelling work, the authors unveil the complex interplay between public apologies, social justice and popular mobilisations. The editors of this book did not intend this to be a comprehensive treatise on the rituals of forgiveness: the chapters are devoted primarily to the experiences of Latin America, particularly of Mexico, Guatemala, Chile, and Brazil. But there is also a chapter on the struggles for Palestine -so relevant in the face of the current genocidal invasion by the Zionist State of Israel into Gaza, the world's largest and most densely populated concentration camp. Nithya Nagarajan explores the ongoing plight of Palestinians since the Nakba in 1948, and event that, for over 75 years, has not only subjected Palestinians to severe hardships but has also seen their resistance and struggle for liberation being ideologically effaced by Israeli and mainstream media efforts, portraying Palestinians as victims rather than agents of revolution.

17/05/2026

There's a book launch - this Thursday 21 May 6.30pm at Book Haven
Paul Maunder’s new novel, The Sculptor from Rūnanga, is a book about a hunger strike to protest against the Gaza genocide. Read more here:

Join us on Thursday the 21st of May to launch Paul Maunder’s new novel, The Sculptor from Rūnanga. Copies of the book will be available for purchase (for the special price of $24) and Paul will be signing copies. Paul is a director and playwright — you may recognise him as the director of Sons ...

04/05/2026

In May 1937. one of the most advanced revolutions in modern history was defeated. In Insurrection, Agustín Guillamón explains how Stalinist counter- revolution and republican reformism disarmed the threat of the anarchist working class in the Spanish Revolution. While anarchist "leadership" flailed, the defense committees were weakened, which allowed bourgeois institutions to gain power and strengthened the republican state. Using new information gathered from archives and interviews, Guillamón tackles some of the most vexing questions about the Spanish Civil War, retelling the story George Orwell recounted but failed to fully understand in Homage to Catalonia.

Aqustin Guillamôn is an independent historian; editor of Balance, a magazine dedicated to new research on the Spanish Revolution: and the author of The Friends of Durruti Group, 1937-1939 and Readv for Revolution, among numerous other books.

Paul Sharkey is an accomplished translator who has made a vast body of anarchist texts available to English-language readers. His numerous translations include the works of Nestor Makhno, Osvaldo Baver, Errico Malatesta, Daniel Guérin, José Peirats, and Antonio Téllez.

01/05/2026

"It’s May Day - if you can’t get out & join the revolution, at least read a book about it!" Book Haven has some books on display - and we've got a pile on our shelves - come and browse