This year the fair took place in the midst of an escalating imperialist war drive in the Middle East and just a few days after elections in which, among other results, ultraright parties had made substantial gains in local polling.

The Pathfinder booth, which carried a range of titles on communist politics, was at most times crowded with visitors, mostly youth. Often four or five discussions with the volunteer staffers would take place at the same time, with others sometimes looking over shoulders to see the books that attracted such interest.

The booth was staffed by an international team of volunteers from Gothenburg, Reykjavik, Stockholm, New York, and Dundee, Scotland.

The books that explained the roots of the imperialist war drive in the Mideast and the accelerating world depression drew many people to the booth. Titles addressing these issues were prominently displayed, ranging from the Swedish translation of "The Opening Guns of Guns of World War III: Washington s assault on Iraq" contained in Ny International no. 1 to October 1962: The ‘Missile’ Crisis as Seen from Cuba by Tomás Diez Acosta and Capitalism’s World Disorder: Working-Class Politics at the Millennium by Jack Barnes. Visitors purchased eight copies of the first title and two of the second.

Some commented on the stance of the Swedish rulers toward the imperialist war moves in the Middle East. Prime Minister Göran Persson had said in a recent interview that the Swedish government would probably support the war against Iraq whether or not it had the blessing of the UN Security Council.

Many visitors were Pathfinder loyalists from earlier book fairs who have come back year after year to discuss the international class struggle and check out the revolutionary publisher’s new titles.

"Every year I come to your stand to buy a book," said one browser, Masoud, as he bought a copy of Fascism: What It Is and How to Fight It. "I wish you had a Pathfinder bookstore here in Gothenburg, not just in Stockholm," he added.

This classic pamphlet by Leon Trotsky had proved timely and popular during an election event held in the Gothenburg city library the week before, at which parties running in the local elections in Gothenburg had set up information tables.

The ultrarightist National Democrats was one group that responded to the invitation and arrived with a table. Hundreds of youths turned out to give the racist outfit a piece of their mind. Many of them said they were pleased to see the Communist League table nearby.

Some people came back day after day during the 10-day exhibition at the library and became more familiar with Pathfinder books and the Communist League campaign.  
 
Pamphlet on fascism popular
When Fascism: What It Is and How to Fight It sold out at the library display, campaign activists encouraged disappointed customers to come to the book fair where more copies would be available.

The Palestinian struggle for their homeland and the accelerating U.S. war drive in the Middle East also sparked political discussions and interest in the books.

Several visitors, including a couple of members of the Young Muslims, said that they had taken part in demonstrations in support of the Palestinians’ fight.

Noam Chomsky, who had been declared the featured guest by the book fair organizers, drew some 3,700 people to a seminar during the four-day event at which he spoke. Following the seminar a flow of visitors came to the Pathfinder booth, eager to discuss their response to Chomsky’s presentation. The staffers contrasted Chomsky’s anarchist politics--including his opposition to the Cuban Revolution--to a communist perspective that points to workers and farmers taking political power out of the hands of the capitalist class.

The best-selling title at the booth was a Swedish translation of Ernesto Che Guevara’s Socialism and Man in Cuba, with 11 copies, followed by "The Opening Guns of World War III" with eight. Pathfinder’s books of speeches by Malcolm X were also popular.

Books explaining the roots of women’s oppression were well received by the many young women who visited the booth. Twelve such titles were sold, most of them books by Evelyn Reed, including the Swedish and English editions of Woman’s Evolution: From Matriarchal Clan to Patriarchal Family.

Books and pamphlets to a total value of $850 were sold at the booth. In addition, 12 people purchased subscriptions to the Militant and one bought a Perspectiva Mundial sub; two more subscriptions were picked up at house calls during the week after the book fair.

The team staffing the booth also set up two book tables at the University of Gothenburg, where the stance of the Communist League campaign against Swedish imperialism--including its preparations to participate in the U.S.-led war drive in the Middle East--attracted interest among students. The team also visited the working-class districts of Angered and Hjällbo; from both areas, visitors later came to the booth at the fair. The team also did plant-gate sales at the SKF industrial plant and the Volvo vehicle factory in the city, as a result of which three workers purchased the Militant.

Dag Tirsén is a member of the Industrial Workers Union. Andreas Bergerheim is a member of the Food Workers Union.  
 
 
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