Zinefest is coming
This year, WORD Christchurch is celebrating one of the smallest and humblest literary creations – the zine!
Zines (think magazine) are small, self-published texts with a rich history. There are two common forms of zines – a sheet of paper folded to produce an 8-page booklet, or sheets of papers stapled into a booklet. Traditionally, zines are reproduced on a photocopier to create copies that can be sold, traded, and shared.
Which is what you can expect when you attend Ōtautahi Zinefest at the Christchurch Art Gallery, Sunday 25 August.
Listen to Alicia talk to Sarah Lund of Ōtautahi Zinefest. From So Many Stories, August 2023 show. Time: 5 minutes 20 seconds.
Zine makers from across Ōtautahi, Waitaha | Canterbury, and the motu | country will be gathering for the annual zine market. You’ll find the full breadth of zine-making there: poetry, art, DIY info, personal essays (perzines), fan tributes (fanzines), photography, and so much more.
Meet our zines
Can’t make it to Zinefest or want to get some zine-making inspiration? You can find them in the library!
On Auahatanga | Creativity, Level 4, Tūranga you’ll find a 1000+ collection of zines and small press comics. While they can’t go home with you, there’s plenty of spaces across the library to cosy up and read.
Head down to Tuakiri | Identity, Level 2, Tūranga and you’ll find a select group of zines tucked away in the Aotearoa New Zealand Reference Centre shelves. These are zines which document Christchurch’s culture, everyday life, and minority views. These zines are Christchurch’s voices preserved for the future.
You can also find two smaller pop-up zine collections at South Library and Upper Riccarton Library.
Too Much, All at Once, Right Now!!
We want your zines!
Whether you’ve got a stall at Ōtautahi Zinefest, been dabbling in zine-making at home, or thinking of giving it a go this WORD festival – we want your zines!
We’re always looking for zines or small press comics from Waitaha | Canterbury, or zines which provide a snapshot of New Zealand culture from different perspectives, not well represented in mainstream publishing.
You can donate your zine or small press comic at any Christchurch City Library with a completed Donation Form or post it to us. Visit our donation page for more information.
Get creating
If you would like to have a go at making your own zine, there are a few workshops happening across the city in the lead up to Christchurch’s most literary weekend.
For tamariki | children:
- Family Makerspace – Saturday 12 August
- Afterschool Activity Zone – Wednesday 16 August
For rangatahi | youth:
- Create a Zine –drop-in workshop all day at Tūranga, Wednesday 23 to Friday 25 August
- Zine Club – Thursdays after-school at Upper Riccarton Library
For adults
- Follow @otautahi_zinefest on Instagram or Facebook for info on their workshops.
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