"Last year's sales increase was a result of an effort to expand the use of revolutionary books as part of the weekly activity of communist workers and youth in response to new political openings," Knight explained.

In addition to book sales to young people demonstrating against the imperialist war against Afghanistan and to locked-out car parts workers at Friction Dynamics in north Wales, "key to the sales growth were consistent literature tables in the workers district immediately surrounding the bookshop," she said. "With regular propaganda work in the area and a weekly Militant Labour Forum series, more people were introduced to Pathfinder books. People attending the forum series at the bookshop are staying around longer for informal discussion and often buy a book or two in order to dig more deeply into the issues that had been raised."

This work led to people purchasing £467 of literature at the forums during the last six months of 2001. In addition, £3,462 of books were sold in the same period to people who visited the shop during its open hours. Many had learned of the shop by meeting communist workers at a street table or political event.

Interest in the speeches of Thomas Sankara, the central leader of the Burkina Faso revolution, was a feature of the increasing sales. "This reflects not only the increasing number of West African immigrants living in the United Kingdom, but what is happening in countries from where they come. Many want to study the speeches of a Marxist leader in order to fight imperialism," said Knight. A total of 28 copies of Thomas Sankara Speaks were sold last year.

Other books that featured prominently among the best-sellers were 31 copies of Palestine and the Arabs' Fight for Liberation; 6 copies of Che Guevara Talks To Young People, and 25 copies of Capitalism's World Disorder, by Jack Barnes.

Several hundred pounds worth of revolutionary books from the shop were picked up by participants at an anti-imperialist youth festival held in Algeria last August. For many of the groups of revolutionists who came together at the festival, studying the continuity of the communist movement has become an indispensable part of their activity. The bookshop also sold many books at events organized to report back on the festival in London. Some who went to Algeria from the United Kingdom have continued to purchase Pathfinder titles this year as well.

Young people were able to stock up on a range of titles when the shop held a sale of overstocked or damaged books, as well as older printings of Pathfinder books donated by supporters of the bookshop. Young revolutionaries were able to begin rapidly building their own libraries. Among the titles snapped up were many books by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, founders of the modern communist movement.  
 
 
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