International delegations at the fair came from Belgium, France, Egypt, and Haiti. Publishers and authors from several other French-speaking countries were also represented.

Pathfinder Books had a stand at the fair, among the more than 800 booths. Eleven volunteers from Montreal and Toronto, as well as Chicago, staffed the Pathfinder stand throughout the 53-hour event, some taking time off work to do so.

One day of the fair is dedicated to book trade professionals. Volunteers at the Pathfinder booth were able to make important contacts—particularly with Montreal-area librarians.

Two librarians who staff small rural libraries on a volunteer basis also visited the booth twice to make sure that Pathfinder stand volunteers got all the information necessary to place Pathfinder books in the five regional “Central book exchanges” (book lending centers) throughout Quebec. They explained that readers using local libraries in outlying regions, often too small to stock many books, borrow books from these lending centers, using their catalogues to request particular titles.

Reflecting the importance of Pathfinder’s French-language publishing project, 60 percent of the titles sold from the Pathfinder stand were in French, 33 percent in English, and 6 percent in Spanish.

Several visitors took full advantage of Pathfinder’s Super Saver Sale, which started in August and ended November 30. Of a total of 63 books and pamphlets sold—a 70 percent increase over last year’s sales—45 were among those offered on the special discount. Best sellers included The Second Declaration of Havana, 10 copies; and Capitalism's World Disorder: Working-Class Politics at the Millennium by Jack Barnes, 9 copies. Two pamphlets by Thomas Sankara—the central leader of the revolution in Burkina Faso, West Africa—were among the most popular titles; a total of 14 copies were sold of We Are Heirs of the World’s Revolutions and Women’s Liberation and the African Freedom Struggle.

The total value of book sales at the fair was Can$572, helping to push Pathfinder sales in Montreal for the first three weeks of November to Can$950 (Can$1=U.S.$0.83).

Discussions on working-class politics also led six people to subscribe to the Militant and two to its sister publication in Spanish Perspectiva Mundial. In addition, 26 people, including several youth, signed up to receive regular notices of Militant Labor Forums in Montreal or be called about subscribing to the Militant.

Volunteers at the booth also distributed hundreds of copies of promotional material, including business cards with the Militant and Pathfinder Press web sites, as well as leaflets advertising upcoming Militant Labor Forums. Many fairgoers said they were pleased to see books on revolutionary socialism in different languages at the fair. Several said they would check out the new Pathfinder book center and Militant Labor Forum hall in Montreal.

On November 20, halfway through the fair, thousands demonstrated three blocks away outside the Quebec Liberal Party convention. The protest was directed against ongoing cutbacks in education and health care and other anti-working-class policies of the federal Liberal government. Ten books and pamphlets, as well as a subscription to the Militant, were sold to protesters from a literature table set up during the action by the Communist League and Young Socialists.
 
 
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