Lighthouse Bookshop Gets Set for Return of Radical Book Fair

Key Points

• The Radical Book Fair 2026 runs from 5 November to 8 November at Assembly Roxy in Edinburgh.
• Organisers at Lighthouse Bookshop chose “Building a Better Now” as the headline theme for the four-day event.
• Storyteller and designer Malini Chakrabarty created the official artwork for this year’s poster.
• The programme includes stalls from independent publishers and campaign groups, alongside panel discussions, poetry readings, workshops, and community meals.
• Event spaces feature dedicated neurodivergent quiet

Edinburgh (Edinburgh Daily) October 30, 2026 — Edinburgh’s independent radical bookshop, Lighthouse Bookshop, has announced the return of the annual Radical Book Fair, set to run from 5 November through 8 November 2026 at Assembly Roxy in the Scottish capital.

The four-day event brings together political authors, independent publishers, grassroots campaign groups, and local readers under this year’s official banner, “Building a Better Now”.

What Is the Theme of the Radical Book Fair 2026?

The 2026 festival focuses on highlighting existing grassroots initiatives, communal support structures, and alternative social frameworks. Organisers established the theme “Building a Better Now” to explore practical actions and spaces currently working towards social and environmental change.

As reported by festival organizers at Lighthouse Bookshop, “shining a bright light on the many spaces, people and movements where the beginnings of a different world already exist” forms the central objective of this year’s programming.

Visual identity for the 2026 event was created by multidisciplinary storyteller Malini Chakrabarty, whose poster artwork was selected to represent the themes of collective action and community care.

What Events and Stalls Are Scheduled for the Four-Day Programme?

The schedule at Assembly Roxy includes book stalls from independent radical publishers, stalls run by campaign groups, panel discussions, and workshops.

The opening day features discussions on international affairs and civil protest rights, including a panel titled “What Now?” with Tareq Baconi and an investigation into state regulation of protest titled “To Live in Protest: resistance made criminal”.

Subsequent panels planned across the weekend cover topics such as data infrastructure resistance, housing costs, disability activism, community safety against racism, and feminist economic models.

Specific scheduled sessions include:

• Technology & Ecology: Panel discussions on artificial intelligence, hyperscale data centres, and environmental impact.
• Healthcare & Welfare: Public and private health activism sessions addressing accessible care.
• Arts & Performance: Creative writing workshops, craft-as-politics demonstrations, and the evening “queer resistance cabaret”.
• Family Activities: Children’s storytelling sessions, including “Mystika Glamoor’s Tall Tales for wee readers” alongside parent support spaces.

What Health and Accessibility Provisions Are in Place for Visitors?

Organisers have instituted specific accessibility and health measures across the Assembly Roxy venue to accommodate diverse visitor needs.

The venue setup includes a designated quiet room, sensory stim materials for neurodivergent attendees, and arranged British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation for selected panel events upon request.

To support vulnerable community members, face coverings remain expected in all event seating sections throughout the four days.

How Does Lighthouse Bookshop Select Its Event Content?

Lighthouse Bookshop operates as an employee-owned, radical left indie bookstore located on West Nicolson Street in Edinburgh’s Southside. The retailer stocks approximately 10,000 titles spanning political theory, climate justice, fiction, history, and LGBTQ+ writing.

As reported by Neil Sharpson of The Herald, Lighthouse Bookshop maintains a published “safe spaces policy” to govern public events, explicitly excluding speakers or materials that utilize language deemed discriminatory or oppressive.

Regarding public debate surrounding speaker criteria, representatives of Lighthouse Bookshop stated that “those who know us know what we stand for, and how committed we are to the liberation of the Palestinian people” while emphasizing their commitment to community-led discussions.

Background of the Edinburgh Radical Book Fair Development

The Radical Book Fair has operated in Edinburgh for several decades under various organizers, historically serving as a key fixture for left-wing publishing and political debate in Scotland.

Lighthouse Bookshop took over the coordination and hosting of the annual fair to ensure the event remained a regular feature in the UK literary calendar.

Following past iterations held at various community venues, the festival moved to Assembly Roxy on Roxburgh Place, providing a multi-room facility to accommodate larger audiences, publisher exhibition stalls, and concurrent workshop sessions.

Previous iterations of the fair have addressed themes including “Ecosystems of Change,” focusing on solidarity across environmental, labor, and anti-racist movements. The fair continues to operate on a non-profit community model, utilizing tiered and free ticket options for panel sessions to maintain broad public access.

How This Development Can Affect Independent Publishers and Local Readers

The return of the Radical Book Fair provides a direct commercial and promotional platform for independent presses, small print operations, and self-published authors who often face barriers to distribution in mainstream retail chains.

For publishers specializing in niche political theory, poetry, and social history, the four-day event offers direct access to an engaged reader base, driving physical book sales and networking opportunities across independent publishing networks.

For the local Edinburgh community and readers across Scotland, the festival maintains an accessible forum for political discussion, educational workshops, and community organizing outside academic or commercial institutions.

The inclusion of free family sessions, quiet areas, and strict health safety protocols allows marginalized and vulnerable demographics to participate in public cultural events safely.