A Luta Continua! Reflections on Revolutionary Reading, Anticolonial Thought and the Praxis of Decolonisation

Abstract

Reading is the bedrock of any academic activity. We read to acquire knowledge, we read to expand our horizon, we read to enrich our own ideas and thoughts. Reading is at the very centre of what ‘we’ as academics do. While reading is part and parcel of our intellectual development, its importance transcends the narrow boundaries of academia and the privileged space of the university. “What is dismissed as ‘academic’ procedure is actually required for informed public deliberations in democracies” as Judith Butler puts it. “Reading is not just a pastime or a luxury, but a precondition of democratic life, one of the practices that keep debate and disagreement grounded, focused and productive” (Butler, 2024: 18-19). It is a political activity that goes beyond the mere consumption of language, words and meanings. Reading, if viewed as a critical praxis, can be transformative both on the individual and the collective level, changing perspectives, changing realities. Inspired by our belief in the power and importance of reading we founded and convened the University of York Anticolonial Reading Group (UoYACRG), the first reading group of its kind at the University of York, and organised a workshop: Anticolonial Agendas: Interrogating Contemporary Notions of Decolonisation. This piece begins with reflections on a year of anticolonial reading at the University of York, before presenting our ‘findings’ about revolutionary reading, anticolonial thought and decolonial praxis. We intend for this piece to be useful and thought-provoking for others engaged in similar projects, as well as intervening in the debate around decolonisation at British universities.