The Archive of Book Action for Nuclear Disarmament (BAND)

Archive reference: Cwl BAND

This small but detailed collection offers new insights into the growth and organisation of a pressure group during the early 1980s. It will also interest those researching particular authors, the literary world or the book trade.

About BAND

Book Action for Nuclear Disarmament (BAND) was founded early in 1983 with three main aims: to act as a pressure group to oppose nuclear weapons, to "encourage people in the book world to think about the realities of nuclear 'warfare' and to recognise that this is not an issue that can be treated as a private thing", and to "put its members' professional skills at the disposal of other sections of the peace movement". Its members included authors, agents, publishers, booksellers and librarians. BAND actions included a 24 hour Read Around the Clock for Peace vigil on the steps of St-Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square in September 1983. In 1984 regular bi-monthly open meetings began, and in 1985 the group organised the first National Peace Book Week.

About the Archive

The archive include minutes of the advisory group, copies of BAND newsletters, publicity material including flyers and posters, press cuttings, correspondence, member details, and photographs.

It also includes a file of correspondence received by BAND in 1984 from John Brunner (science-fiction writer) and Marjorie Brunner. In 1981 the Brunners had encouraged British authors to become involved with an East-West writers initiative for peace. The contacts they made among concerned authors and others in the book world were passed on to BAND's membership secretary.

We have produced a basic list of the archive to make it available to the public as quickly as possible. This is not yet available online: contact Special Collections staff for further information.

Note that the archive contains much personal correspondence and is therefore restricted under the Data Protection Act. We hope to refine what is restricted as further cataloguing is carried out.