Marcel Mariën (1920-1993) was a writer, artist, and filmmaker, and the youngest member of the Belgian Surrealist movement. While Mariën’s political alignments shifted over the course of his life, he consistently upheld the necessity to reject fascism, dedicating many of his writings to understanding fascism's ideological functionalities. 

In 1958, he drafted a plan to topple capitalism on a global scale, achievable in a single year, in any place, at any time. The catch? It required three hundred accomplices, and it was destined to fail. Theory of Immediate World Revolution: A Handbook for the Avant-Garde is this blueprint – part manifesto, part performance, and a provocation to rethink the very idea of change.

Anna O'Meara and Abigail Susik will be joining the Verso Book Club Reading Group on 23rd August at 2pm EST/7pm GMT to discuss Marcel Mariën’s life and legacy.

You can join the Book Club for as little as $10 / £8 per month, with no commitment. Sign up now!

About the VBC Reading Group

As the largest independent, radical publishing house in the English-speaking world, we believe that a revolutionary pedagogy is vital to building a liberatory future. This new addition to the Verso Book Club moves beyond the initial reading of a book, asking readers to dig into the critical, though often messy, next stage of discussing, arguing, reflecting, and expanding upon the text.

Each month, we will meet over Zoom to hear from the authors themselves, or from a scholar, writer, or thinker who has had a key influence on the topic at hand. Guest speakers are not asked to lecture per se, but to be in conversation with their own reading of the text, highlighting key moments, explicating subtleties, and suggesting questions for further dialogue in advance of small group discussion. We also encourage members to self-organize either in person or virtual satellite meetups.

Join the Verso Book Club today!

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