The Curious, Unique and Strange Folds ZIne Fair.
Poster design by Daisy Knight
The WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and WHY? Your questions answered in the lead up to the Zine Fair.
WHAT exactly is a zine?
Derived from the end of the word ‘magazine’, zines are independently made, small-circulation booklets characterised by their simple design; typically folded and stapled paper.
Zines have existed since the 1920s, allowing communities to share stories, poetry, art, social commentary, fandom content and more. They can be as small as a button or as large as a regular magazine, made out of hand-glued collage or designed on a computer. Zines are whatever you create them to be!
Photo credit: Aphrodite Delaguiado
WHO RUNS THE STRANGE FOLDS ZINE FAIR?
Lore
Hello I’m Lore! I run Baby Teeth Journal and started Strange Folds Zine Fair three years ago. I primarily write poems but I’m also a big fan of collage and mixing mediums when it comes to visual art.
Adara
I'm Adara, I do much more running of creative events than I do actually creating, but when I do sit down to make something, I write and perform poems that come from deep in my body – poems about being a woman, being an arts worker, being a person. My zines mostly contain my poems alongside designs from collaborative artists, but I've started to play more with collage recently.
Jess
And I’m Jess! I’m the editor of L.I.M.P. Magazine. I’m hopping on the Strange Folds team this year to help out wherever I can - mainly the DIY zine workshop in the Music Lounge. I’m so excited!
WHY?
Lore and I have worked together in the past on the Wollongong Writers Festival, in founding Society City Collective, and in partnerships between Baby Teeth Journal (theirs) and Enough Said Poetry Slam (mine), so it just made sense to add another cool thing to the Wollongong arts scene that doesn't cost us anything other than our time. We've shared tables at zine fairs many times and when one day Lore suggested we start our own zine fair in Wollongong, we realised there was literally nothing stopping us!
Zines are SO accessible to make, literally anyone can give it a go and come up with something weird and cool and completely original. Poetry, comics, watercolour, activism, recipes, memoir, comedy – it all has a place within zines. And then I get to experience it and take it home for just a few bucks!
Adara
I always love seeing people meeting other zine makers and forming friendships. It’s usually a bit busy and stressful for me on fair day but seeing positive feedback and posts from people afterwards warms my heart a lot. I’m glad we’ve been able to create such a friendly and supportive space with Strange Folds.
Zines are such an accessible creative outlet, they can give voice to anything. It’s also very fun to make them. They’re important as a form of cultural document as well, a sort of folk history for many more underground cultures.
Lore
Photo credit: James Windle
There’s nothing quite more relaxing than cutting and folding little bits of paper. Inspired by the Blue Mountains Zine Club, I decided I wanted to start my own. Wollongong Zine Club runs every second last Thursday of the month at VanQ Vintage Shop. I’ve really enjoyed making geniune connections and meeting people this way.
For me the best part is getting my head out of my phone, away from the AI slop and advertising. It’s the perfectly imperfect creative outlet and I want to share it with as many people as I can.
Jess
WHERE AND WHEN?
Strange Folds Zine Fair is on 6th September 2025, in Wollongong Town Hall, open to the public from 10am - 3pm.
While you’re here why not try making your own at the DIY Zine Station in The Music Lounge. Explore the wide variety of zine materials – typewriters, vintage magazines, textas and more – follow tutorials from L.I.M.P. Magazine and make something brand new to take home with you.
Enter your creation in the raffle for your chance to win a prize pack!