The Write Zine

One of the great things about an event like the Small Press and Zine Fair at the Emerging Writers' Festival on Sunday is exposure to the captivating limited-edition curios and largely underground talent.
"I'll Poet You" was the tagline of the zine of poetry by young poets on the table next to the Writers' Resource Centre. Their "pretty much free" black-and-white copied and stapled zine was sometimes sold, sometimes given away along with badges emblazoned with Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath.
Further down in Federation Square's Atrium, an artist sells her matchbox of 'Nudies' - small versions of her life drawings in a matchbox-type container. She's also immortalised her favourite shoes, including some precious red work boots, in a series of framed artworks. Across the way a Ugandan writer sells a book of his songs not yet put to music. As soon as he learns an instrument, he says miming guitar-playing, these words will become songs.
The people are as interesting as their offerings. On another table Chay-ya is flanked by her travelling exhibition of paper cups that now show her penned artwork; kept in a pocket and whipped out to engage random 'attendees' of her unusual exhibition. Meanwhile, Damuj wonders through the fair with his own zine, full of poetry and short pieces telling of pain, drugs, divorce. A way of explaining things to his young daughters, he says.
The entire festival is imbued by a wonderful sense of self-expression and creativity. And it's certainly a message to other writers yet to put their work out there about what is possible.
The Emerging Writers' Festival is now an independent festival. The curios and new talent will appear again next year, but until then, and after having a sneak peak at an unusual Erinsborough zine inspired by Neighbours TV show and bandied about by a fan, I'll be checking out the Sticky Institute Zine store in the Degraves Subway in Melbourne.
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Incidentally, the City Library is running an eight-week group for anyone interested in street press (anything from zines to comics, magazines and blogs in any genre). It's open to everyone, regardless of level, including budding writers, designers, editors, artists, programmers or photographers. The idea is to meet like-minded people, exchange ideas and learn new skills. www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/libraries

Suzanne

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