SYDNEY, Australia - Over the past five months Pathfinder supporters in Sydney have been consistently reaching and going over our monthly goal for sales of Pathfinder books.

Increased sales were spurred last August by the visit of U.S. Socialist Workers presidential candidate James Harris. This coincided with a mass rally of unionists, Aboriginal fighters and student activists in Canberra. Pathfinder supporters mobilized to reach as many workers and youth as possible at the rally. Using a special offer that focused on books that are important to workers helped maximize sales and sign up a new Pathfinder Readers Club member.

In the past few months, using the circulation drive to reach out with the Militant and the Marxist magazine New International, gave a boost to Pathfinder sales. Sales on the job were a particularly important part of this. We have sold 28 units in three different factories in the last five months. Suggesting the books that people may want to read stemming from political discussions is key. Catalogs and Pathfinder Readers Club leaflets with book covers displayed have also helped. Two workmates bought copies of Woman's Evolution: From Matriarchal Clan to Patriarchal Family by Evelyn Reed in one week from such a leaflet!

Another big plus for sales was a trip by Pathfinder supporters from Sydney and Auckland to the Philippines. At two conferences of workers, students and international delegates, which mobilized to oppose the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, we sold 62 titles, including 10 New Internationals.

Consistently convincing people of the advantages of belonging to the Pathfinder Readers Club led to a boost in the numbers of people joining. Signing up new members to the Pathfinder Readers Club has increased our sales of revolutionary literature. At the end of last year, a special offer drew big sales to new members. One new member bought 19 books in the last two months.

Pathfinder supporters consistently set up book stalls at many political events. Neat and attractive placards that feature book covers help draw people to the stall. Our best sales have been at an East Timor conference and a festival for Cuba.

BY MARY NELL BOCKMAN

BOSTON - A highlight of sales this month was at the "Rethinking Marxism" conference sponsored by the magazine of the same name on December 5-8 at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Around 800 students and academics from around the world attended including participants from South Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico, Japan, Germany, Italy, and many universities in the United States. Volunteers staffed a Pathfinder table on all four days of the conference and sold a total of 44 books and pamphlets. The Pathfinder table also became a center for discussion among participants who came to the conference looking for an opportunity to discuss the relevance and application of Marxist ideas today.

Pathfinder books were familiar to many of the participants. A professor from Mexico had bought books at our table at the Mexico City Book Fair last year. Someone else had seen us at the New England Booksellers Association trade show.

A number of people said they had been in Pathfinder bookstores in different cities as well. Others weren't familiar with titles before they came, but left with catalogs and books. Two graduate students from Korea came by the table several times, finally purchasing a copy of New International no. 10 that features the article "Imperialism's March toward Fascism and War."

Three copies of New International and five Pathfinder titles on the Cuban revolution were among the books sold at the conference. The official program included only one academic paper on Cuba out of the 600 presented at 190 workshops during the conference.

Pathfinder was the only table among the 15 booksellers and groups that had Marx and Engels for sale at the conference. We distributed about 80 copies of the 1996 Pathfinder catalog and sold eight books on the Russian revolution and the Communist International, including two copies of To See the Dawn: Baku, 1920 -First Congress of the Peoples of the East. Altogether, participants bought nearly $650 worth of Pathfinder books.  
 
 
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