Anti-racist French Reading Group

Please note: this event will be held in person at Glasgow Zine Library. This event is BYOB so you are welcome to bring your own drinks. Please note, this means alcohol may be present and consumed during this event.

this french reading group is open to all levels

It says fuck francophilia

It says down with the French State

It embraces sloppy, slow, francais

It welcomes outlaws, criminals,

It urges REPARATIONS TO HAITI NOW

It doesn’t believe in dictionaries as a rule, but as guidelines

It welcomes misspellings and strong accents

It believes iel is a pronoun

And yells

to the white supremacy in language learning

There will be no pressure to read aloud if you don't want to.

This French Reading Group is for anyone interested in practicing reading and discussing in french (when possible) and curious about anti-racist/decolonial writing in a non-pressured, non-academic setting.

The readings for this month will be sent to you in advance of the reading group.

`Group agreements:

• Be mindful of how you show up in the space - do you usually talk a lot or don’t talk much?Try to step back if you tend to talk in the group easily, or step forward if you don’t.

• Don’t assume anyone’s race, gender, class, sexuality, or ability.

• Be respectful of other people’s knowledge, questions, thoughts, and experiences.

• If you are white, consider what your place is in reading the text (especially if it is written by a person of color, perhaps for people of color) and how perhaps it is a moment to listen, not to critique or analyse like academia has taught us.

DISCLAIMER:

I am a heritage speaker (meaning I make LOTS of mistakes and am learning myself) and am not a qualified instructor of French by any means. Please do not attend this group with any expectations of instruction.

I am a white person from the United States with white French parents. My ancestors were colonisers in North Africa and Madagascar. I believe engaging in anti-racist and decolonial reading and discussions is crucial, especially as a white person, for my own unlearning and participation in collective liberation.

Please note: we can only issue refunds requested 72 hours before the event.

This event is suitable for ages 18+. There will be 10 attendees maximum, and the event will feature comfort breaks. During this event, participants will be involved in: whole group disucssions, reading aloud.

This event will take place at the GZL space on Albert Road in Govanhill

You may be asked to wear a mask at this event.GZL provides hand sanitizer and KN95 masks for participants. If you would like to attend and request that all other participants wear masks, you can either ask our staff member on the day or email us ahead of time at [email protected] and we will ask all who are able to mask to do so. Additionally, we have an air purifier with HEPA filters in the library.

If you have any questions or access requirements, please get in touch with us via [email protected].

GZL pledges to support The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. As part of this pledge we may participate in strikes called in response to the ongoing genocide in Palestine. If this event falls on a strike day and is cancelled, we will work with event leaders to reschedule the event asap. Participants will also have the option of receiving an immediate refund for any ticket purchases and travel booked to attend.

Find out more about access at GZL events and how to make an access request here.

All events will adhere to our safer spaces policy, which you can learn about here.

How to access the event:

After booking a ticket, you will be sent several reminder emails from Eventbrite leading up to the event. We will also send emails that share any resources that attendees will need access to, including any required materials.

Please email [email protected] for any queries or issues.

Support GZL:

Join the GZL Patreon and support the library on a monthly basis.

Host or Publisher Glasgow Zine Library