Auckland Zinefest

Auckland Zinefest - back for a second edition. Self-publishing festival set to get crafty at St. Kevin’s Arcade.

The festival celebrates a DIY approach to publishing, where enthusiasts produce and share ideas, musings, writing and artwork using readily available tools.

Event co-organiser Tessa Stubbing explains, “zines can be on any topic at all and packaged together in any way imaginable. Seeing how different people use that freedom is very exciting and liberating to witness.”

Last year’s event saw an unexpectedly broad audience converge on the infamous Cross Street Studios. But when the artist-run gallery was forced to close earlier this year, the fate of the festival seemed uncertain.

“We were sorry to lose the gallery, since it let us focus on the event rather than worry about finding a venue. But it made us think about what we wanted in a space – something more accessible to the public,” says Stubbing.

In true DIY style, the team behind the event have found an impressive solution, relocating this year to St. Kevin’s Arcade, where the festivities will flow into the surrounding bars, cafes and retail stores.

Flying in from Wellington once again is key speaker and long-time zine-maker Bryce Galloway. Also speaking is Richard Cook, who for the last decade has bridged the gap between commercial and DIY magazine publishing in New Zealand.

As always there will be plenty to browse, with stalls from many of the country’s best-loved zine-makers and the extensive Cross Street Studios Zine Library on display.

Creative workshops will be held throughout the day, imparting everything from basic screen-printing to paper-making and letter-writing.

Stubbing calls it “an awesome way to immerse yourself in our local zine community. There’ll be opportunites for the zine newbie as well as the experienced zinester to take something out of it.”

Auckland Zinefest runs from 11am to 4pm. Later in the evening local bars The Wine Cellar and Whammy Bar will come alive for the after party with a performance by poetry troupe, The Literatti, as well as an exciting line-up of local musicians.

Event listed by kroadbusiness

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