Help us launch a small radical bookshop in Cluj, Romania

Who we are 

We are C. and A. from Cluj/Kolozsvár, Romania. We are working to open a small cultural center in the city. It would include a bookshop/distro, a DIY printing workshop, as well as an area for events. To make this space come to life, we need your support.

This space will be run through an NGO we founded specifically to help us with our new projects. One of these projects is Pisica Neagră (“Black Cat”), an autonomous online bookshop: www.pisica-neagra.ro. The bookshop opened in January 2025, after months of planning and preparation. Its aim is to promote and distribute publications from informal political groups and independent publishers, covering queer and feminist literature, anarchist thought and history, vegan and anti-speciesist perspectives, as well as works on community and political organizing etc.

While this specific project is fairly new, we, as individuals, have close to 10 years of activity within different initiatives and informal grassroots collectives, mostly focused on the publishing, printing and distribution of antiauthoritarian literature and theory. One of these initiatives was Pagini Libere, (currently not active: https://pagini-libere.ro/). We are also involved in historical and archival work regarding local ”histories from below”. So, Pisica Neagră is not entirely a new initiative, but a continuation, with other means, of earlier and ongoing efforts.

Our primary goal is to reach a broader audience, while also supporting grassroots initiatives with our knowledge and resources. To achieve this, we aim to create a sustainable ”knowledge ecosystem” that integrates printing, publishing, distribution, and the sharing of knowledge. The bookshop/distro is one of the pieces of this infrastructure we strive to put into place.

A bit of (local) context 

Just as other countries in Europe and in the world, Romania is currently experiencing an economic and political crisis, harsh austerity policies, coupled with growing fascist, militaristic and ultra-right tendencies. Although there are various independent, left-leaning publishing initiatives and an increasingly rich alternative literature in Romania, there are no dedicated radical bookshops or a reliable distribution network for such materials. 

By opening a physical distro (in addition to the online bookshop), we hope not only to support and encourage the production and dissemination of radical literature, but also to create a space open to all who reject discriminatory behaviors and hateful discourses. A cultural hub that could serve an educational and social purpose and, at the same time, act as a collective laboratory for emancipatory ideas and practices.

Cluj/Kolozsvár is one of the most expensive and gentrified cities in Romania. It is also a city with a growing anticapitalist and antiauthoritarian movement. Through the creation of a durable cultural centre, we believe we can contribute to the growth of a broader, more conscious movement against the current (anti)social tendencies. At the same time, we believe that, now more than ever, long-term projects are needed — initiatives that can remain sustainable over the years, with a solid, grassroots foundation, able to nurture resistance and creativity and, in return, support communities.

How to support 

To get the project off the ground and cover basic costs for the first six months — including rent, utilities, and setting up the space — we estimated a total of €7,500. However, our most urgent goal is to secure a suitable location, which would require around €3,000. This is our first milestone. The rest of the funds can be raised gradually, as the project takes shape and advances.

We are aware that there are many, more urgent issues around the world. This is why we chose not to launch a formal crowdfunding campaign, and instead are reaching out directly to individuals and collectives we know (or know of). This allows us to keep a direct connection with people, so we can discuss the project with you personally, if you may have any questions. Of course, feel free to share this message with people and collectives you trust. After all, comrades of our comrades are our comrades too. 

If you can’t donate money, but still want to help, there are other ways to support our initiative. You could, for example, collect books and pamphlets in English, French, German, or other widely spoken languages, for the bookshop/distro. Many of these titles are expensive or hard to find here due to limited distribution. Political or radical titles are especially welcome — anarchist, feminist, or Marxist works, whether historical, literary, or theoretical — as long as they don’t promote authoritarian views.

Finally, if you know of any funding programs that might support a project such as ours, and share the same values, we would love to hear about it.

So, if you’d like to support us in bringing this small radical bookshop to life in Cluj/Kolozsvár, you can do so by:

PayPal: https://paypal.me/pisicaneagraro 

Contact 

To get in contact with us, you can use any of the following:

E-mail: contact@pisica-neagra.ro

Whatsapp, Telegram, Signal: 004 0750 238 502

Cu tovărășie,

C. and A.