Haymarket Books is proud to present RISE UP AND READ, a Chicago-wide Common Read program for the many.

Our inaugural selection, for summer 2023, will be Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba.

RISE UP AND READ is rooted in Haymarket’s mission of offering radical political education for the many, and will provide an opportunity for us to read together as a component of building a community of struggle.

Let This Radicalize You is a practical and imaginative resource for activists and organizers building power in an era of destabilization and catastrophe. Longtime organizers and movement educators Mariame Kaba and Kelly Hayes examine some of the political lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the convergence of mass protest and mass formations of mutual aid, and consider what this confluence of power can teach us about a future that will require mass acts of care, rescue and defense, in the face of both state violence and environmental disaster.

We hope this new initiative helps to foster a shared language and understanding of creative and thriving movement spaces, and gives organizers and activists some tools and political insights to help navigate the current moment and build solidarity across areas of struggle.

We are pleased to be collaborating with numerous community organizations, political groups, unions, mutual aid cooperatives and abolitionist organizations to distribute copies of Let This Radicalize You and additional resources to support setting up discussions of the book.

How can you get books? 
We are partnering with the Chicago Public Library system, which will have books available and can also provide free meeting space for folks organizing community discussions. You can book space at local libraries here. 

You can also purchase books from your favorite local independent bookstore. 

If you buy five or more paperback copies of Let This Radicalize You you can get them for 50% off by using this LINK to order. (The discount will be applied at checkout, once quantity has been updated.)

Additional support for reading groups:
TOOLKIT:  Contains additional materials like a discussion guide, workbook, zines, images, and a guide for setting up a reading group. 

REQUEST FORM: Reach out to get support with joining or starting a reading group from our Chicago Haymarket staff. 

Join us at Haymarket House for our Let This Radicalize You discussion group June 27th and July 11th. Find out more HERE.

There will also be VIRTUAL EVENTS this summer and fall exploring themes from the book featuring the authors and contributors. Look for more details to be announced soon!