You might be wondering, what is a zine?
And that is a good question!
Simply put, a zine is a self-published booklet, often created by physically cutting and gluing text and images onto a piece of paper for photocopying. In most cases, zines usually focus on one idea. But they can be about anything: a piece of poetry, a creation of art through graphics, short stories, articles, and so much more.
Who knows, you may have been creating and producing zines already without even realising it!
To give you a little bit of a background on zines, the idea started back in the early 1930’s when articles could be published on a gestetner — an early printing machine — and then folded and stapled. This was an inexpensive task, with an easy-to-produce and publish format: and the zine was born.
Now in the digital age, zines are the fastest way for up-and-coming writers to produce their own work and spread their ideas far and wide, without the high printing costs of other avenues.
Where to from here?
If you enjoy writing and would like to know how to produce a short publication, we have a few exciting teen events for you! Learn how to publish your own zine during the school holidays, and have fun in the process.
For some inspo, why not check out the following websites and get your creative juices flowing!
- FOTP.Online: DIY Resources
- State Library Victoria: Make Your Own Zine
- YPRL: Zines for Teens
And take a look at these resources featuring zines in our catalogue: