The flyer is nearly finished, and we will post a scan of this soon.
Star Swirl been busy making new 'zines, which she will launch at the event - including mini issues of her music 'zine, The All Frills No Frills Music Bill, a second issue of her gardening 'zine, Gardeners' Delight, which charts how she set up a community vegetable garden in her local area, and a couple of the group are also working on a 'zine about their favourite pubs, called Ale House Rock !
I have been busy making visits to the art gallery where our event will take place. The librarians there are the loveliest people, and they are so keen on 'zines, it has been very inspiring to feel so welcomed. The gallery has an art library which also houses a small but very varied 'zine collection. I have been visiting and reading wonderful 'zines there over the last few months, and donating lots of my own to the collection. I started visiting so often that I became known to the staff and we got talking about 'zines. It is easy to lack confidence in your efforts, but one day a librarian asked me if I was an artist, and I didn't feel able to refer to myself as such. She instilled confidence in me when she said: 'You write, you create. You are an artist.'
When it became apparent that the rumours at last year's Zine Symposium about it being the last one were genuinely true, I informed a librarian there, and wondered if the library wouldn't hold some sort of event. Soon the idea progressed to me getting involved in the concept of an event. I also decided it was time I started promoting my own 'zines better. I have been making fanzines on and off since 1996 (!), and I have quite a catalogue of issues, so I decided I wanted to start my own web site to collect them all together. I thought about starting a distro. I realised that 'zine events tend to take place in east London and north London, with nothing south of the river where I live. The South West London and Surrey Zine Collective was born. We are seeking like-minded folk to form a collective who can meet up, host events, be creative, have fun, make friends, etc. So far, the group is still starting out, but we have had little meet ups, including 'zine picnics and even folded 'zines in a pub one evening.
Now the idea of putting on a public 'zine event is becoming reality as we keep planning and working on it in conjunction with the art gallery in east London.
We cannot wait to announce full details of our event. Please keep Saturday 6th October in your diaries, if you live in or can travel to London. This will be a free but ticketed event, so you will need to book. More details to follow.
In the meantime, if you live in SW London or Surrey and want to get involved with the group, or donate 'zines to the library which will form part of our event, or have your 'zine sold through our new distro, Staple Diet, on the day, we would absolutelylove to hear from you!
Contact us here.