Zines are almost like the tapes of the music world - there’s certainly a niche market for them, but they’re still here and making their mark. The earliest zine can be traced back to the 1930s.
Unlike magazines, like say The Ocelot, zines are self-published and distributed on a smaller circulation, predominantly targeting a particular audience or subject matter - feminist pop culture, platforms for promoting specific musicians, music genres and artists. Ultimately, since booming in the 1980’s punk rock era, zines made their mark by embodying a collaborative sense of community and have continued to infiltrate many sub cultures.
Two people who still strongly believe zines are still as relevant as ever are James Purvis and Julie Gough, who are organising Swindon’s first Zine Fest next month. Is Swindon ready for such a thing? Of course it is.
“We’re keen to see it happen here,” James explained “We want to be a part of the grassroots movement which we believe is in Swindon. When Julie and I got talking we realised this has potential.”
One of the brilliant things about zines is that because they are self-published, they aren’t bound by the same corporate ties that commercial magazines often are. As such, zines come in all different agendas and movements.
James continued: “We want to give a voice to people in marginalised communities - zines have been, and are still used, to publish the faces of women who have been erased.
“Julie and I both have a passion to make sure these marginalised voices are heard. Although zines may be niche, the community around them is really strong, and it falls outside the remit of traditional publishing.
Swindon Zine Fest is free to attend and will be taking place at Swindon’s Central Community Centre, August 18, from 1pm to 6pm. As well as showcasing creative talent there will also be printing workshops taking place throughout the day.
James added: “We’re looking for the Swindon Zine Fest to grow over time - we’re so excited!“
Visit @swindonzinefest for more information.