to our readers

Forty yeArs

The next issue will close the first forty years of our magazine. We decided to "take advantage" of a formal occasion like this to do, in various ways, the summary of the situation. To do that we are building a very special number (over 250 pages!) Of "A" - the next, in fact, the number 358, dated "December 2010 - January 2011."

The number will open with a section consisting of seventy written, signed by as many friends and associates of "A", many (but not all) anarchists, each of which will address a theme or at least come forward with their thoughts focused mainly on current facts. We wanted to avoid the risk of "how we did well," but how many stories we've been through ", etc.., Directing the attention of our staff on what was once called "the hour is coming. " Although it is true that "A" has always devoted much space to the past (from the many pages of history to the classics of the international anarchist libertarian thought), but this time we tried and try to see, to tell and to understand the present (and perhaps to build a little bit of the future).
The list of people to which you can read a contribution is long (and for now still tentative). Here it is: Fulvio Abbate, Felice Accame, Nadia Agustoni, Claudio Albertani, Gianni Alioti, Roberto Ambrosoli, Maurizio Antonioli, Luigi Balsamini, Giorgio Barberis, Federico Battistutta, Mariella Bernardini, Giampierto ”Nico” Berti, Franco Bertolucci, Amedeo Bertolo, Furio Biagini, Fausta Bizzozzero, Pino Cacucci, Antonio Cardella, Zelinda Carloni, Francesco Codello, Colby, le comunarde di Urupia, Rossella Di Leo, Marianne Enckell, don Andrea Gallo, Dori Ghezzi, Diego Giachetti, Valeria Giacomoni, Monica Giorgi, Lorenzo Guadagnucci, David Guazzoni, Pippo Gurrieri, Lalli, Chiara Lalli, Gianpiero Landi, Luciano Lanza, Alessio Lega, Domenico Liguori, Milena Magnani, Agostino Manni, Maria Matteo, Carlo Milani, Gianni Mura, Carlo Oliva, Sergio Onesti, Massimo Ortalli, Angelo Pagliaro, Francesca Palazzi Arduini, Marco Pandin, Adriano Paolella, Andrea Papi, Radio Bandita, Gaia Raimondi, Giorgio Sacchetti, Fabio Santin, Gianni Sartori, Cosimo Scarinzi, Arturo Schwarz, Walter Siri, Andrea Staid, Corrado Stajano, Persio Tincani, Filippo Trasatti, Davide Turcato, Cristina Valenti, Nicoletta Vallorani, Massimo Varengo, Claudio Venza, Elena Violato, Valentina Volonté, Edy Zarro e Gianpiero Bottinelli. The list, as mentioned before, might have some minor variations.

The cover of the first number of “A” (February 1971)

The second section consists of a hundred pages, with most beautiful paper, printed in full color (ie, reporting faithfully the original colors). There will be displayed in chronological order all 358 covers of the last forty years (from February 1971 to January 2011). Leafing through the pages (each featuring 4 covers) you can get an idea of the issues addressed by the magazine, you can also read the scrolls that indicate the main topics discussed inside. A graphics library first, but not limited to that: the cover of a magazine is like a person's face, it tells us much about what's behind it.

The third section of this issue really strange and special "A" will consist of a long interview by Adriano Paolella, one of our staff "historic" (and since a few months leader of the Italian WWF), Paolo Finzi, the only founder member of the group "A" to be still serving with the actual writing (but the others, this will be discussed in the interview, are largely still active in cultural libertarian activities often germinated from "A").

The fourth and final section will be occupied by a long list of names, in alphabetical order: individuals, groups, associations, collectives, etc..: There will be a complete list of those who wrote, worked, sang, illustrated, photographed, translated etc.. and up to "A". A list of over 2,600 names, in which - in hindsight - pulses that small slice of "civil society", of comrades, friends and for different traits and different in size, have helped make this project possible and practical libertarian , horizontal, "alternative" communication media that is "A".

A draft of the next number cover

A real book – we said. Indeed, a big book. But for subscribers and speakers, and readers in general, it will be the number 358 of "A". The cover price will be 10.00 euro, the price is absolutely insane and "political" given the cost of production. This is a gift of "A" to their community of reference, it is an object to be distributed around to make known a part of our past and our history, but also many items geared to the present and future.

The distributors will require a special effort to help us to develop this strange object, to explain to readers - regular or occasional - the reason for this price, it is understood - for once! - As a concrete sign of participation in a project, and the subsequent No 359 (February 2011) will resume its normal course. Assuming that something "normal" there is in our editorial adventure, which will come soon in its fifth decade.

Straight for the Idea, with the capital "I" at the beginning of the word "idea": that was an old way of greeting among the anarchists of hundred and more years ago. If it did not look a bit pathetic and definitely out of the sensibility of the times, lend itself to the point of irony and sarcasm (next to where? And what idea?) We would like to repeat ourselves. We limit ourselves to a more prosaic: the next issue.

 Translation by Enrico Massetti ("The other Fabrizio")