Digitized Journals
The Anarchist Archive is home to dozens of anarchist and anarchist-related publications that have been digitally archived in the University of Victoria Vault. Below are a compilation of digitized journals available for access online.
BOA, 1986-1992
Bevy Of Anarcha-feminists (BOA) was an anarchist-feminist zine first published in Montreal in 1986 by three young women from the West Coast, who identified as the BOA collective. Later, the collective relocated to downtown/east Vancouver. The periodical was funded through benefit events and private donations and received administrative and technical support from feminist organizations such as the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre in Vancouver.
BOA covered a wide range of anarchist and feminist issues, including economic inequality, sexism, prisons, squatting, welfare, sex-trade workers’ rights, ageism, sexuality, and self-expression. It was distributed free of charge throughout its entire run. There was no formal editorial policy: the editors accepted all submissions in an effort to minimize editorial control. They frequently organized “layout parties” to encourage participation and support women contributors.
The following issue of BOA is available online:
British Columbia Blackout, 1978–84
British Columbia Blackout was an anarchist periodical based out of Vancouver, British Columbia and published by Autonomy News Service. The free newsletter covered topics in Canadian and British Columbia politics, anarchism and anti-authoritarianism, regional direct actions, Indigenous struggles, and included festivals, concerts, meet-ups, and other events.
The following issues of British Columbia Blackout are available online:
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 01 (May 12, 1978).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 02 (May 26, 1978).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 03 (June 09, 1978).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 04 (June 23 1978).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 06 (July 21, 1978).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 66 (September 20, 1982).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 74 (January 7, 1983).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 75 (January 21, 1983).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 77 (February 11, 1983).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 79 (March 25, 1983).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 82 (May 20, 1983).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 83 (June 3, 1983).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 84 (June 17, 1983).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 85 (July 1, 1983).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 91 (September 23, 1983).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 109 (June 15, 1984).
- British Columbia Blackout, no. 117 (October 19, 1984).
Bulldozer, 1978–1985
The Toronto-based Bulldozer Collective published the Bulldozer newsletter from 1978–1985 as “the only vehicle for prison reform.” The periodical included articles, letter, poetry, and art written by prisoners and ex-prisoners. Later, the newsletter was incorporated into Prison News Service.
The following issues of Bulldozer are available online:
Démanarchie, 1994-1997
Démanarchie was a French-language periodical produced by the Montreal-based Démanarchie collective. The collective advocated against authoritarian states, parliamentary democracy, eugenics, sexism, patriarchy, and broader social hierarchies. The publication was well-received within Montreal’s punk community. One member of the collective later relocated to Quebec City and formed a second Démanarchie collective, which also contributed regularly to the periodical.
The following issues of Démanarchie are available online:
Kick it Over, 1982–2004
The Kick it Over Collective was based in Toronto, Ontario. The collective published the journal Kick it Over between 1982 and 2004.
Kick it Over is available in the Bob Melcombe or Jim Campbell (Julie Thiers) Fonds/Collection. The following issues are available online:
- Kick it Over, No. 5 (1982).
- Kick it Over, No. 6 (February, 1983).
- Kick it Over, No. 7 (May, 1983).
- Kick it Over, No. 8 (September, 1983).
- Kick it Over, No. 10 (Spring, 1984).
- Kick it Over, No. 11 (February, 1985).
- Kick it Over, No. 12 (June, 1985).
- Kick it Over, No. 14 (Winter, 1985).
- Kick it Over, No. 17 (Winter, 1986).
- Kick it Over, No. 18 (Spring, 1987).
- Kick it Over, No. 19 (Summer, 1987).
- Kick it Over, No. 20 (Winter, 1987).
- Kick it Over, No. 25 (Winter, 1990).
- Kick it Over, No. 33 (Spring, 1994).
- Kick it Over, No. 34 (Autumn, 1994).
- Kick it Over, No. 37 (Spring, 2000).
- Kick it Over, No. 38 (Spring, 2001).
Les Pages Noires, 1983
Les Pages Noires was a Montreal-based periodical that ran briefly from July to December 1983. It addressed feminism, anti-war activism, and anti-prison organizing, targeting readers affiliated with anti-authoritarian, anarchist, and autonomist groups and individuals. The publication also shared information about upcoming activist events and initiatives.
The following issues of Les Pages Noires are available online:
- Les Pages Noires, No. 1 (July 19, 1983 – September 2, 1983).
- Les Pages Noires, No. 2 (September 2-16, 1983) – [Insert]
- Les Pages Noires, No. 3 (September 16-30, 1983).
- Les Pages Noires, No. 4 (September 30, 1983 – October 14, 1983) – [Insert]
- Les Pages Noires, No. 5 (October 14-28, 1983).
- Les Pages Noires, No. 6 (October 28 – November 11, 1983).
- Les Pages Noires, No. 7 (November 11-25, 1983).
- Les Pages Noires, No. 8 (November 26, 1983 – December 9, 1983).
No Picnic, 1988-1990
No Picnic was an anarchist magazine based in Vancouver. As an anti-statist and anti-capitalist periodical, it addressed anti-civilization politics, green anarchism, and the struggles of Indigenous peoples in British Columbia. The publisher distributed the magazine primarily to prisoners, subscribers, and bookstores in Canada and abroad.
The following issue of No Picnic is available online:
Out of Bounds, 1984–1997
Out of Bounds magazine was a prison journal published by Pithy Penal Press in the William Head Institution, a minimum security prison in British Columbia. It was edited by Patrick W. Rafferty. Out of Bounds was written for prisoners, their friends, families, and the general public. The publication includes articles, essays, letters to the editor, art, comics, and poems which cover topics such as Indigenous imprisonment, prison conditions for women, the politics of abolition, and legal challenges in Canada.
The following issues of Out of Bounds are available online:
- Out of Bounds, no. 2 (November, 1982).
- Out of Bounds, no. 3 (December, 1982).
- Out of Bounds, no. 6 (November, 1983).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 10, no. 1 (Summer, 1993).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 10, no. 2 (Autumn, 1993).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 10, no. 3 (Winter, 1993).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 11, no. 1 (Spring, 1994).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 11, no. 2 (Summer, 1994).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 11, no. 3–4 (Autumn, 1994–Winter, 1994).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 12, no. 1 (Spring, 1995).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 12, no. 2 (Summer, 1995).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 12, no. 3 (Autumn, 1995).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 12, no. 4 (Winter, 1995).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 13, no. 1 (Spring, 1996).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 13, no. 2 (Summer, 1996).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 13, no. 3 (Autumn, 1996).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 14, no. 1 (Spring, 1997).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 14, no. 2 (Summer, 1997).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 14, no. 3 (Autumn, 1997).
- Out of Bounds, vol. 14, no. 4 (Winter, 1997).
Open Road, 1976–1990
The Open Road collective formed in Vancouver, 1975 as a publication to show-case and share anti-authoritarian activism. Open Road became a nucleus for the anarchist movement throughout its 25 issue run from 1976 to 1990. The journal covered topics including: anti-capitalism, anti-imperialism, armed struggle, environmental activism, feminism, gender and sexuality, Indigenous struggles, labour struggles, prison abolition, among many other issues.
All 25 issues of Open Road are available online.
Prison News Service, 1987–1996
Prison News Service (PNS) was a continuation of Bulldozer published by the Bulldozer Collective that focused on prison abolition, prisoner trials, and incarceration. The newsletter also included essays by prisoners and ex-prisoners.
The following issues of Prison News Service are available online:
- Prison News Service, No. 3 (June, 1987).
- Prison News Service, No. 4 (July, 1987).
- Prison News Service, No. 6 (September, 1987).
- Prison News Service, No. 17 (January–February, 1989).
- Prison News Service, No. 18 (March–April, 1989).
- Prison News Service, No. 19 (May–June, 1989).
- Prison News Service, No. 20 (July–August, 1989).
- Prison News Service, No. 21 (September–October, 1989).
- Prison News Service, No. 22 (November–December, 1989).
- Prison News Service, No. 23 (January–February, 1990).
- Prison News Service, No. 24 (March–April, 1990).
- Prison News Service, No. 25 (May–June, 1990).
- Prison News Service, No. 26 (September–October, 1990).
- Prison News Service, No. 27 (November–December, 1990).
- Prison News Service, No. 28 (January–February, 1991).
- Prison News Service, No. 29 (March–April, 1991).
- Prison News Service, No. 30 (May–June, 1991).
- Prison News Service, No. 31 (July–August, 1991).
- Prison News Service, No. 32 (September–October, 1991).
- Prison News Service, No. 33 (November–December, 1991).
- Prison News Service, No. 34 (January–February, 1992).
- Prison News Service, No. 35 (March–April, 1992).
- Prison News Service, No. 36 (May–June, 1992).
- Prison News Service, No. 37 (September–October, 1992).
- Prison News Service, No. 38 (November–December, 1992).
- Prison News Service, No. 39 (January–February, 1993).
- Prison News Service, No. 40 (March–April, 1993).
- Prison News Service, No. 41 (May–June, 1993).
- Prison News Service, No. 42 (September–October, 1993).
- Prison News Service, No. 43 (November–December, 1993).
- Prison News Service, No. 44 (January–February, 1994).
- Prison News Service, No. 45 (March–April, 1994).
- Prison News Service, No. 46 (May–June, 1994).
- Prison News Service, No. 47 (September–October, 1994).
- Prison News Service, No. 48 (November–December, 1994).
- Prison News Service, No. 49 (January–February, 1995).
- Prison News Service, No. 50 (March–April, 1995).
- Prison News Service, No. 51 (May–June, 1995).
- Prison News Service, No. 52 (September–October, 1995).
- Prison News Service, No. 53 (Spring, 1996).
- Prison News Service, No. 54 (Winter, 1996).
- Prison News Service, No. 55 (Summer–Autumn, 1996).
Reality Now, 1983-1989
Reality Now began as a small, photocopied zine published by Black Dove, a band/political collective based in Ottawa. After Black Dove disbanded in 1984, the periodical was relocated to Hamilton and Toronto. It covered the growing movement in support of political prisoners in North America, including news on Indigenous peoples’ struggles and environmental activism in Canada. The publication also shared information about its writers’ and contributors’ activities and initiatives. In its later years, Reality Now focused increasingly on practical content, such as self-defence training and guidance on organizing meetings and events.
The following issues of Reality Now are available online: