Invitation

Dear comrades,

riding the wave of enthusiasm following the success of the BOAB – Bologna Anarchist Bookfair in September 2025, we have decided to try and breathe new life into another event that has not taken place for the past ten years. We are therefore delighted to invite you to an international meeting of the anarchist archives of the FICEDL network, the International Federation of Anarchist Documentation and Study Centres (ficedl.info).

In addition to the archives already affiliated with FICEDL, the invitation is extended to all anarchist archives, researchers, and anyone interested in sharing their experience with the network.

Much has happened over the past ten years. Through the ups and downs of its activities, the ReBal network (Network of Anarchist and Libertarian Libraries, rebal.info) has continued to grow both in size and quality. Some of our archives have forged new connections, such as with the network of anarchist archives in Eastern Europe thanks to the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair and, more broadly, interest in archival issues and in questions related to the construction of memory is ever-increasing, even outside strictly anarchist or militant circles, though with a gaze that is often turned precisely towards anarchist archives and their decades-long, distinctive experience. From the perspective of the practices and tools available to us for our work and activities, a great deal of water has passed under the bridge.

And so it really does seem the right moment for us all to come together again for a couple of days of conversation and exchange (and yes, a bit of a party too!).

We therefore invite you to the FICEDL 2026 meeting, which will take place on 11-12-13 September 2026 (from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon) in Bologna, at the Circolo Anarchico Berneri.

The meeting is designed to be participatory, so if you have any debates or workshops to propose, please come forward! Time is limited and choices will have to be made, but all suggestions are welcome.

To register, or to propose debates and workshops, please write to xerri@bida.im; as the programme takes shape, we will share a more detailed version with everyone.

Along with your registration, we also ask you to let us know if you require accommodation or have any other logistical needs. Within the limits of our means, we will also set up a mutual aid fund to enable those facing high travel costs to participate. If you need this support, or wish to contribute, please let us know, and as soon as it is operational, we will provide everyone with more precise details on how it works.

For the FICEDL network

Biblioteca Elio Xerri (Circolo Anarchico Berneri), Bologna

In collaboration with the Centro Studi Libertari / G. Pinelli Archive, Milan