Red and Black: an anarchist journal, was published in Australia from 1964 until at least 2001, by exiled Bulgarian anarchist, Jelesko ‘Jack’ Grancharoff (July 5, 1925–May 15, 2016).
I am presently seeking out, scanning and uploading back issues of Red and Black: an anarchist journal in the hope of creating a complete archive of this journal. Progress so far, and details on the issues we are missing, can be viewed below.
Anne Coombs describes the origins of Red and Black: an anarchist journal, in her book on the Sydney Push, Sex and Anarchy (Viking, 1996: 151-152):
Back in January 1960 the Libertarian had announced that a new anarchist journal was about to be launched. The first issue was planned for April/May of that year and was to be put out by ‘Sydney anarchists, members of the Libertarian Society, and others’. It would be called Red and Black. The name was appropriate for a number of reasons, not least because Stendahl’s novel The Red and the Black was being passed around Libertarian circles at the time. This would have been of some significance to the nascent novelist Ian Bedford [1938–2015], who was one of those involved in the new project.
But Red and Black took longer to get off the ground than planned. Nothing happened in 1960 and the idea was shelved. It was talked about in 1963 but still nothing happened. Then, in 1965, Jack the anarchist took it on. The first issue was printed by Nestor Grivas, as was the second issue the following year.
Jack had given a few papers at Libertarian meetings in the Philosophy Room — one on the Catholic Church, in 1960, and another in 1964 on the German/American anarchist Johann Most, an intimate of Emma Goldman. But it was downtown that Jack had most impact. He was a downtown intellectual par excellence. He combined a keen mind and a liking for beer.
None of that has changed. Thirty years later, Red and Black is still published, intermittently. As it always has, it continues to publish articles by academics, ‘street’ anarchists and European and American radicals. Sometimes it publishes pieces by foreign writers who have not been able to get their views accepted elsewhere. Jack, who is fluent in several languages, digs out articles from obscure foreign journals that few people in Australia are likely to have heard of. When he has sufficient material and sufficient funds he brings out an edition of Red and Black. Each issue has a circulation of around 400. Its contents reflect changing times, while maintaining a commitment to anarchism.
The early issues were not so different from the Libertarian-inspired journals. With the exception of Jack, most of the contributors were academics. But it was Jack’s pieces that gave the magazine relevance and currency. In 1966, for example, he wrote on ‘Vietnam’, while the academics were still talking about ‘The IWW in America’ and ‘Lenin and Workers’ Control’.
See also: Jack ‘The Anarchist’ Grancharoff (1925–2016), Andy Fleming, 21 May 2016.
Back issues of Red and Black: an anarchist journal
NOTE: “Not yet scanned”, means we have obtained a copy and intend to scan and upload as soon as practical. I am still seeking copies of all other issues.
Red and Black, No. 1, 1965
I am still seeking a hard copy of this issue.
Contents:
- Virgilia d’Andrea, J. Grancharoff [text availabe at Libcom]
Red and Black, No. 2, 1966
Contents:
- Vietnam, Jack Grancharoff
- Pluralism and anarchism, K. Maddock
- The I.W.W. in America, D. Clark
- Dilmenas of a Filmnik, J. Flaus
- Lenin and Worker’s Control, T. Brown
- Letters, Ken Miller
Red and Black, No. 3. Winter 1967
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Red and Black, No. 4, 1972
Not yet scanned.
Contents:
- Leftism and the University, Jack Grancharoff
- The Melbourne Union Resistance Commune — The Shape of things to come, Michael Matteson
- The Dictatorship of the Proletariat: from theory to practice — Russia 1971-1921, Di Highman
- Sexuality and Orgasm, Collin Gray
- The Anarchism of Michael Bakunin, Kenneth Maddock
- The I.W.W. in America, David Clark
Red and Black, No. 5, April 1973
Not yet scanned.
Contents:
- The Australian Scene, Jack the Anarchist
- The Universities’ Education System and Authoritarianism, Kim Lycos
- Karl Korsch: A Marxist Friend of Anarchism, A.R. Giles-Peters
- The Relevance of Max Stirner, From Freedom, 1955
- The Origins of Chinese Anarchism (abridged), Albert Meltzer
- The Wall Poets: Graffiti, John Gibson
- What Individualist Anarchists What, B.A (a Melbourne High School student)
- More Than Apathy, R.B.
Red and Black, No. 6, Autumn 1975
Not yet scanned.
Contents:
- Russia 1917: Why Not Anarchism?, [unsigned] [text available at libcom]
- Wilhelm Reich & Women’s Liberation, A.J. Baker
- Revolution, Anarchism & Anti-Militarism, Bart de Ligt
- Credo of a Dissenter, Max Nomad
- Of Student Poverty, by an International Situationist
Red and Black, No. 7, ?
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Red and Black, No. 8?
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Contents?
- The I.W.W. in Australia, Mark McGuire [text online at Tavker]
Red and Black, No. 9, Spring 1979
Not yet scanned.
Contents:
- Marxist-Leninism — Vehicle of Capitalism, J. Grancharoff [text available at libcom]
- From Domela to Provo — Anarchism in the Netherlands, Hans Ramaer
- A Critique of Gramsci’s Organic Intellectual, Salvo Rabuazzo
- Marxism and Law, Ken Maddock
- The Origins of the Manifesto of the Communist Party, Tcherkesoff
Red and Black, No. 10, Winter 1981
Not yet scanned.
Contents:
- Anarchism and Bolshevism, J. Grancharoff
- The Anarchists in the Russian Revolution, Anatole Gorelik
- An Anarchist Life: Mollie Steimer (1897-1980), Paul Avrich
- Pages of Socialist History, Tcherkesoff
I. Two Historical Dates
II. Dictatorship and Scientific Pretensions - Dragons & Dragons, John Bosch
Red and Black, No. 11, Winter 1982
Not yet scanned.
Contents:
- Poland, [unsigned editorial]
- The Failure of State Communism, R. Rocker
- Contracts Between Anarchists, K. Maddock
- Pisacane, J. Grancharoff
- Pages of Socialist History, Tcherkesoff
III. Dialectical Method
IV. Surplus Value and Utopianism
Red and Black, No. 12, Summer 1984
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Red and Black, No. 13, Winter 1984
Not yet scanned.
Contents:
- 1984: Orwell’s and Ours, N. Chomsky
- An Anarchist Critique of Trotsky and Trotskysm, G. Hill
- Utopia, The 1984, And Us, J. Grancharoff
- The Failure of State Communism, R. Rocker
- The Pages of Socialist History, Tcherkesoff
Red and Black, No. 14, November 1985
Not yet scanned.
Contents:
- Scylla and Charybdis, J. Grancharoff
- The Failure of State Communism, R. Rocker
- An Anarchist Critque of Trotsky and Trotskysm, G. Hill
- The Indians, Ruben Prieto,
- Communism, [unsigned editorial, Jack Grancharoff]
Red and Black, No. 15, March-June 1986
Not yet scanned.
Contents:
- Dear Friend (instead of an editorial), Jack
- Introduction, [unsigned]
- The Failure of State Communism, R. Rocker
- Reflection on the food crisis in Africa, C.J. Mc Gillion
- The Disciplinary Dove, George Daniel
- An Anarchist Critique of Trotsky and Trotskysm, G. Hill
- Pages of Socialist History, Tcherkesoff
Red and Black, No. 16, ?
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Red and Black, No. 17, ?
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Red and Black, No. 18, Summer 1989
Not yet scanned.
Contents:
- Dear Friends (Instead of an Editorial): Anarchy and Freedom, Jack
- The Kronstadt Rebellion, Garry Hill
- Anarchism in Two Cities: Barcelona and Buenos Airies, 1880-1930, Shelia Maddock
- Dictatorship and Proletarian, Shelia Maddock
- The Failure of State Communism, Rudock Rocker
- Pages of Socialist History, Tcherkesoff
Red and Black, No. 19, Winter 1989
Not yet scanned.
Contents:
- Dear Socialist Sister, [unsigned Editorial, likely Jack Grancharoff].
- Violence and Anarchy, C. Hill
- Social Control: Why is it a success?, J. Grancharoff
- Notes on I.W.W., Lisa Loving
- B.U.G.A UP, [unsigned]
- Pages of Socialist History, Tcherkesoff
- The Failure of State Communism, R. Rocker
Red and Black, No. 20, ?
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Red and Black, No. 21, ?
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Red and Black, No. 22, Spring 1992
Not yet scanned.
Contents:
- East Timor, [unsigned editorial]
- The State of Right: the law of the jungle, Rene Berthier
- Basic Organizational Features of a World Socialist Anarchist Order, Graham Purchase
- The Mystery of Kropotkin and Radcliffe-Brown, K. Maddock
- Reviews.
Red and Black, No. 24, Spring 1994
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Red and Black, No. 25, Spring 1995
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Red and Black, No. 26, ?
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Red and Black, No. 27, Autumn 1997
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Red and Black, No. 28, ?
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Red and Black, No. 29, Autumn 2001
I am still seeking a copy of this issue.
Contents?
- Revisiting Turkey: how Jack became an anarchist [plain text available at Takver]
Red and Black, further issues?
At this point I am uncertain when Jack last published Red and Black: an anarchist journal. The most recent issue that I know for certain exists is Number 29, published Autumn 2001.
I met Jack briefly at a public event back in 2012, he indicated that he had ceased publishing Red and Black, but I was not able to ascertain how many issues exist or when publication ceased.
Another mystery is whether or not any copies of Issue 1 remain in existence, and what it might have contained.
There is an article on libcom that reputedly comes from Issue 1 of Red and Black, but it is plain text only and there is no other information.
Early issues of the journal provide information on how to order back issues, but the earliest issue available for back order cited in any past issue that I have access to is issue 2.
I am working with comrades who have more complete archives of Red and Black than what I have been able to track down, and we hope to be able to fill most of the gaps in the above catalogue soon.
– Eko.
Other Writings by or about Jack
Jack Grancharoff, ?, ‘A Visit to Bulgaria: Report on 1993 Bulgarian anarchist conference’, Struggle Archive.
Jack Grancharoff, 1996, ‘Marxism and Anarchism’, in LaTrobe University Anarchist Collective (ed.), National Anarchist Conference, LaTrobe University, Bundoora, 8-10 June, 1996., p. 3. Online thanks to Reason in Revolt.
Jack Grancharoff, 2005, Gods and Popes, online at Anarkismo.
Jack Grancharoff, 2005, What we take for granted, online at Anarkismo.
Jack Grancharoff, 2005, Violence begets terrorism, terrorism begets the State and the State begets terrorism, online at Anarkismo.
Takver, 2002, ‘An interview with Jack…’, Takver’s Initiative
Sean Matthews, 2013, ‘My experience of Anarchism in Bulgaria: Interview’, audio thanks to WSM.
Michael Schmidt with the assistance of Jack Grancharoff, 2008, Bulgarian Anarchism Armed: The Anarchist-Communist Mass Line, online at Anarkismo.