Community
Access to our online community forum, where you can chat to other members or set up your own reading group.
Discover the best radical writing, carefully curated for you, with the UK's leading not-for-profit book subscription.
Every month we’ll send you carefully selected books on politics, economy, society & culture by the world's leading radical authors.
Get a free copy of 'Less is More' when you join in September!
The Left Book Club was founded in 1936 to oppose war, inequality and fascism. Join us today and help support political education.
Back to school offer
To celebrate our collaboration with Jason Hickel we're offering a free copy of his book 'Less is More' to new members. Join from £9.99+p&p and you'll get September's book Making Peace with the Earth plus Less is More in your first parcel.
"The magnificent Left Book Club is a window into an alternative future. Subscribe today" – Maxine Peake
Our community
Left Book Club isn’t just about the books. We organise events, where you can put your questions to authors and special guest speakers. We're also building a network of reading groups, and we can help you get your own group off the ground.
Partner discounts
Discounts from our partners including Pluto Press, Tribune and Repeater.
Get your tickets to TWT23 now!
The World Transformed is the UK's leading festival of radical debate and discussion so we've been proud to help curate some of the events on this year's programme. It will take place in Liverpool from 7th-10th October. Check out the programme and get tickets by clicking below.
Join our reading group at TWT in Liverpool
This year's Left Book Club reading group at TWT will take place on Saturday morning at 10.30 till 12 at the District arts venue, 61 Jordan St, Liverpool.
Join us to delve into the concept of collective bargaining and explore whether Jane McAlevey's book, "A Collective Bargain," convincingly argues that unions serve as a pivotal force capable of effectively challenging the super-rich corporate elite of our time.
Watch Jason Hickel and Mikaela Loach in conversation
On September 6th we hosted an event with Jason Hickel, author of Less is More, and Mikaela Loach, author of It's Not That Radical: Climate Action To Transform Our World. If you missed it, you can watch it now on Youtube. Thanks so much to both of our guests for a truly fascinating & inspiring conversation. Find out more by clicking below!
Making Peace with the Earth
By Vandana Shiva
For September we are delighted to be publishing Making Peace with the Earth by Vandana Shiva.
'One of the world's most prominent radical scientists' – Guardian
Vandana Shiva demolishes the myths propagated by corporate globalisation in its pursuit of profit and power, revealing the devastating environmental impact of corporate capitalism.
Making Peace with the Earth outlines how a paradigm shift to earth-centred politics and economics is our only chance of survival and how collective resistance to corporate exploitation can open the way to a new environmentalism.
Join this month to get your copy, plus for a limited time we're also offering an extra free copy of 'Less is More' when you spend £9.99 or more on any subscription!
Read more
Celebrating 75 years of the National Health Service
Treating over a million people a day in England, the NHS touches all of our lives. When it was founded in 1948, the NHS was the first universal health system to be available to all, free at the point of delivery. It was the brainchild of Nye Bevan, Minister for Health in the Labour government. Nye was also a member of the Left Book Club, and editor of Tribune magazine.
“A free health service is pure socialism and as such it is opposed to the hedonism of capitalist society” Nye Bevan
Support Striking Workers
Nye is often quoted as saying 'The NHS will last as long as there are folk left with faith to fight for it.' Today those people are the nurses and junior doctors and everyone who is striking to fight for better conditions, fair pay, and patient safety.
To celebrate our beloved NHS and help raise money for striking workers we've produced a 75th anniversary tea towel.
We'll donate £5 to the RCN strike fund for every one we sell. Join us in showing your support for striking workers – and every time you do your washing up you'll have a small reminder of the socialist principles behind the UK's best-loved institution.
Watch May's event with Vron Ware and Gary Younge
Our book for April was Return of a Native by author Vron Ware. The book was also the subject of our May event so we were delighted to be joined live by Vron and special guest, journalist and author Gary Younge. Thanks so much to both Vron and Gary for their insights – to listen to the full conversation click below.
A proud history
The Left Book Club was founded in 1936 by publisher Victor Gollancz and it quickly became a mass movement with over 57,000 members. Running thousands of reading groups around the UK, it is often credited with laying the groundwork for Labour's victory in 1945 and the introduction of the welfare state.
Watch our Paint Your Town Red event with author Matthew Brown
In March we were delighted to host Paint Your Town Red author Matthew Brown in conversation with Sarah McKinley of The Democracy Collaborative. Thanks so much to both our guests for a great discussion on how to build wealth at a local level by handing decision-making power back to communities.
Explore our book bundles
Once you're a member, broaden your knowledge on a specific theme with a bundle of 3 carefully-chosen books. Plus you get three for the price of two.
3-for-2 Feminism Bundle
To celebrate Women's History Month in March we put together a bundle of three books that are perfect for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of different strands of revolutionary feminist thought. Includes Ain't I a Woman, Down Girl and Beyond the Fragments.
"Thanks to the Left Book Club – the work that you do is tremendous" – John McDonnell
Explore the books
Can you fight fascism with a book club?
Read a write-up of one of our reading groups here.
Want to buy books at your own pace?
If you're interested in being a Left Book Club member but you don't want regular books through the post, then Community membership is a great solution. For just £5 a month, you can buy books whenever you want to, selecting what appeals to you most. You also get all other member benefits.
Plus your fee helps support our political education projects at a time when we face hugely rising costs.
A huge thanks to all Solidarity Members
We'd like to say a massive thanks to all our solidarity members, who pay a slightly higher rate of membership in order to ensure that we can provide free and discounted books for others. If you pay annually, we also throw in a welcome pack including one of our lovely totes, an enamel pin, bookmark and an extra free book!
Watch our event with Eamonn McCann
In December we were so delighted to host a conversation between Eamonn McCann, author of the classic War and an Irish Town, and author and activist Camilla Fitzsimons, author of Repealed. Thanks so much to our guests for a really inspiring discussion. If you missed it, you can tune in on Youtube by clicking below.
Gifts and merch
We produce a range of merch which is perfect for gifting. All money raised is hugely helpful in supporting our publishing and educational projects. Anyone can buy our merch – you don't have to be a member – and all items are themed around our books. We hope you find something you like!
Upcoming reading group meet ups and events
Join LBC and come alongUpcoming reading group meet ups and events
Join LBC and come along-
5Oct
NEW! Walthamstow Reading Group
in person · Starts at 7:30 p.m. BST · 1 week from now -
6Oct
EVENT: Mad World: The Politics Of Mental Health with Micha Frazer-Carroll
in person · Starts at 7 p.m. BST · 1 week, 1 day from now -
18Oct
Online Reading Group
tbd · Starts at 7:30 p.m. BST · 2 weeks, 6 days from now
All upcoming events
Recent highlights
We publish one book a month, alternating between contemporary writing (yellow books) and classics (black). Members can order anything they have missed.
June 2023
contemporary
May 2023
classic
April 2023
contemporary
March 2023
classic
Discover author events and discussions on our Youtube Channel
Youtube
Are you a trade union branch or a community organisation interested in collective education and reading groups? Email elif@leftbookclub.com to ask about our group memberships.
Our unique editions are printed with unlaminated card so no plastic is involved in the production of the book.
Books
We publish one book a month, alternating between contemporary writing and classics.
Merch
Check out our merch page! We are a not-for-profit so all money raised helps us keep our subscription prices down.
History
The Left Book Club was founded by Victor Gollancz in 1936 and soon had 57,000 members. Authors included George Orwell and Clement Attlee.
Community
Use your member login to chat to other members in the community app, or set up your own reading group.
"Reading socialist books has never been more urgent. Good luck to the Left Book Club!" – Ken Loach
Become a member
Let's read together!
The Reading Room is an exciting new project designed to get people reading across Britain. Working with Pluto Press we're creating radical libraries in community centres, free for all to use. In these spaces, reading groups and opportunities to meet authors are being established, providing resources and activities that hope to catalyse creativity, collaboration and conversation.
Check out the upcoming launch events, and where you can go to be involved, by clicking below.
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