There’s no imagination too wild at this grassroots Wollongong event. Photo: Yanni Cvetanovic.
From a tactical guide to dumpster diving to a deep dive into gnome-only Tinder profiles, the Strange Folds Zine Fair is back to prove there’s no topic too niche for print.
Now in its fourth year, the free-entry, not-for-profit community arts event packs out Wollongong Town Hall with the creative works of 70-plus table holders, from tiny independent makers trying it for the first time to well-established literary mags, hailing from as far as the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast.
The only zine fair on the South Coast not only offers the chance to browse and purchase creations from as little as 50 cents, but also a zine-making station in the music lounge, a guided zine-making workshop and a zine competition.
Zines have existed since the 1920s, allowing communities to share stories, poetry, art, social commentary, fandom content and more.
Derived from the end of the word “magazine”, they are independently made, small-circulation booklets characterised by their simple design; typically folded and stapled paper.
A community-centred craft used for everything from environmental and political activism to artistic expression, Strange Folds co-founder Adara Enthaler says Zine-making is a democratic, grassroots way to distribute ideas.
“If you have something you want to say or art to show people, all you need is access to a printer and a stapler,” she says.
“No need to apply to 100 publishers before you get to hold in your hands something of your creation.
“If you have a niche experience you want to share with people who might not otherwise learn about it, you can do it, often in these really funny, talented, artistic ways that provide people with a snapshot of lives a lot of us might not encounter otherwise.”
Strange Folds is presented by Adara, the spoken word poet behind poetry zines Equidistant and Crowdsourced Poems and host of Wollongong’s Enough Said Poetry Slam, and her two local contemporaries, Lore White (Baby Teeth Journal) and Jessica Edge (L.I.M.P).
“We each had these three separate literary things and now with our powers combined, we run this other literary thing,” Adara says.
“We just want Wollongong to have cool art and ways for people to express themselves, through what’s often incredibly honest and personal creations.”
Strange Folds Zine Fair will be held on Saturday 11 April from 10 am to 3 pm at Wollongong Town Hall.
