We are very pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of ON THE POVERTY OF STUDENT LIFE. This new, 376-page edition of the classic pamphlet includes a lot of never-seen before content:

  • A preface, “The Most Scandalous Pamphlet of This Century,” by coeditor Mehdi El Hajoui
  • A critical introduction by coeditor Anna O’Meara, where she explores the relationship between the Zengakuren and the SI
  • An interview with Mustapha Khayati, tracing the origins of the pamphlet and its contemporary resonances (in English and French)
  • A reflection by Allan Antlif on the Black & Red editions of the pamphlet
  • A note by Donald Nicholson-Smith on the first English-language adaptation
  • A facsimile of that adaptation, Ten Days That Shook the University (1967)
  • An early handwritten draft of the first chapter by Mustapha Khayati
  • A facsimile of the original French edition, De la misère en milieu étudiant (1966)
  • A stunning, wide ranging graphic exploration of one hundred editions of On the Poverty of Student Life in twenty or so languages, with their original covers and detailed bibliographical information.

Simply put, a book like this has never before existed. It will surely be embraced by SI enthusiasts new and old, as well as serve as a vital resource for makers and collectors of revolutionary art, and a new generation of student revolutionaries.

You can purchase copies or encourage others to do at the Common Notions website: https://www.commonnotions.org/on-the-poverty-of-student-life. For international orders, Amazon offers shipping to Europe for ~$10. See here. If you can’t afford a copy, you can always ask your (public or university) library to order one.

A limited number of review copies may be available to those interested in bringing more attention to this work. Feel free to write to Malav Kanuga, editor and publisher at malav@commonnotions.org with details.