Jack Robinson (anarchist)
Jack Robinson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1913 Birmingham, England |
| Died | 1983-03-20 |
| Occupation(s) | Anarchist activist, editor, bookseller, nurse |
| Known for | Editor of Freedom publication; activist in British anarchist movement |
Jack Robinson (1913 – 20 March 1983) was a British anarchist activist and served as editor for the publication Freedom.
Biography
Born in Birmingham in 1913, Robinson was a conscientious objector during the Second World War. Instead of military service, he worked as a trained nurse in a colony for individuals with epilepsy. Additionally, he took part in a medical trial that involved following a diet designed to induce scurvy. His main source of income came from trading books. His acquisition of the tenancy connected to Albert Meltzer’s Wooden Shoe Press led to a prolonged disagreement between Meltzer and Vernon Richards.
Robinson collaborated with Lilian Wolfe and Mary Canipa at the Freedom Bookshop, contributing writings to both Freedom and Anarchy throughout the 1970s. Occasionally, his articles appeared anonymously or under the pseudonym Jon Quixote. It is believed that he had some influence over editorial policies during the 1960s. At the request of Canipa, his contributions were included in Freedom: A Hundred Years, a collection edited by Donald Rooum and published after his death.
Together with Rooum, Robinson was involved in the Colne and Nelson Anarchist Group. He was recognized for his lifestyle choices as a non-smoker, teetotaler, and vegetarian. Robinson passed away on 20 March 1983, following a stroke suffered two months prior.
Publications
- Rooum, D (Ed.) Freedom: A Hundred Years, October 1886-October 1986, London, Freedom Press, 1986
- Rooum, D (Ed.) What Is Anarchism?: An Introduction, London, Freedom Press,