Malatesta’s series of conversations about anarchism is a brilliant and accessible introduction to many of the philosophy’s most compelling ideas. Its conversational style and short chapters make it very easy to pick up and read. It’s one of my personal, all-time favourites.

This is a more “heady” read than some of the others on this reading list, but it engages meaningfully with many of the concepts and challenges of anarchism in theory and practice. It draws from a variety of voices to take on some of the most common misconceptions and divides within the movement. Once you have a basic understanding of anarchism, I highly recommend that you give this a read to deepen your grasp.

This is one of the books that I recommend most of all. Its breakdown of this practical approach to revolution is useful in some way for all stripes and flavours of liberation.

This is one of the first books on anarchism that I ever read. It covered many of my questions about anarchy’s possibility and introduced me to several novel concepts and case studies that continue to stimulate my imagination today.

If you prefer a more visually stimulating read, you might appreciate the illustrations of this overview of the history and philosophy of anarchism. While it doesn’t go into too much detail about any particular figure, school of thought, or movement, it’s a great way to gain a broad strokes knowledge of anarchism.

This book is an eye-opening exploration of the ways in which such a simple concept has been used throughout history. including the ways it is used now to oppress and exploit. Graeber clears up many of the myths of economic history and establishes an anthropological argument for a different approach to society.

I read this book before I fully understood anarchism, and its author is certainly not an anarchist, but this summary of social scientific research on authoritarian personalities is an enlightening read for anybody seeking to navigate this fraught political landscape from an anti-authoritarian perspective.

“What the world needs now is liberated men […], men who are 'empathetic and strong, autonomous and connected, responsible to self, to family and friends, to society, and capable of understanding how those responsibilities are, ultimately, inseparable.'” —bell hooks

This book illuminates the problems with our current approach to education and hints at what a revolutionary’s take of consciousness-raising could look like.

Illich does a great job breaking down many of the issues with the school system and approaches some grassroots solutions for solving them. if you’re as passionate about education as I am, definitely give this one a read.