Radical Reading Room with Sarah Autumn | 2026
We get together every month to discuss a book from our Radical Reading Room – a library we’ve set up in collaboration with Pluto Press and The Left Book Club. It’s an informal group and everyone is welcome, so pop down and chat about some timely political topics.
Our Current Book: Friends In Common - Radical Friendships and everyday solitairities by Laura C. Forster and Joel White
Friendship is full of revolutionary potential in the face of a profoundly anti-social capitalist system. Friends in Common explores friendship as a radical practice, capable of upending hierarchies and producing social change.
Friendship can transcend social boundaries and political borders. It is vital in building communities and underpinning solidarity. But its transformative potency ensures that it is heavily policed and restrained by the state. Understanding the radical possibilities of friendship can help us rethink our approach to family, work and politics, and show us new routes to resistance and ways to open up spaces of solidarity and escape.
The dissonance created by comparing societal expectations around friendship and a lonely reality, especially in the wake of an isolating global pandemic, is deeply alienating. Friends in Common shows that friendship as a political practice is foundational to strengthening revolutionary ideas and projects, and is the antidote to capitalist despair.
About the authors:
Laura C. Forster is Lecturer in Modern History at the University of York. Her research is concerned with intimacy, radical ideas, and political activism in the long nineteenth century. Laura has written for Tribune, ROAR, DOPE and Novara Media. She lives in Newcastle and is part of Food & Solidarity.
Joel White is a writer and researcher based in Glasgow. He is involved with groups in the city that organise around mutual aid, migrant solidarity, prison abolition and anti-racism. His writing has appeared in Guardian, Wire, Tribune and the LRB blog. He co-runs the record label GLARC.
About the facilitator
Sarah Autumn is a Leeds based activist and creative community organiser. She's part of the extended Left bank family and will continue to host the Radical Reading Group in 2026. Sarah will work with Pluto Press, Left Book Club and the Radical Reading group members to select and study each book ahead of the meetups.
Reading Room FAQ’s
How often is the reading room?
There is a Radical Reading Room at Left Bank every 4-6 weeks. Every group is held on the last Wednesday of the month at 6.30pm as part of our Culture Club. The group is held in the main Left Bank space or in one of the caravans outside when the evenings are lighter and warmer.
What time is the reading room?
The reading room starts at 6.30pm.
Between 6.30-6.45 you will have time to arrive, get a drink and acquaint yourself with the group. We wrap up by 8pm.
How much does the Reading Room cost?
The Radical Reading Group is free to attend with a pay as you feel donation option.
There will always be at least one copy of the book available in the library to borrow.
If you do wish to buy the book from Pluto Press, you will receive a 40% discount code. To get the code, please email sarahaautumn@gmail.com once you have booked your ticket.
Do I have to read the whole book?
Whilst you may find the reading group more enjoyable if you have read the book, it isn’t essential. You can come along to listen and learn about the book or discuss the broader ideas within the book. Sarah will highlight passages and quotes to discuss. You will also receive some information about the book and author in your reminder email.
Can I suggest a book?
Yes! We would love to hear your suggestions. It is worth keeping in mind though that this reading group is in collaboration with Pluto Press and Left Book Club so it does need to be a book within one of those two catalogues. Fortunately that gives you lots of awesome books to choose from.
Can I borrow other books from the Library?
YES! The Radical Reading Room Library at Left Bank is available for all!
