A Brief Index of First Steps and the Joy of Small-Scale Publishing
Sunday Reads
Sunday Reads: Indie Zines, Stories & Subcultures
Princess Diana as Mushrooms
Lulu Williams’ grotesque-reverent mashup of dead royalty and fungal erotics is not so much a book as it is a visual séance. Diana appears here not as tragic icon, but as a taxonomical muse: fungal, fashionable, and foraged. If there’s anything punk left in collage, it’s in this kind of quiet misanthropy. A monarch for mycelium. Possibly stupid, possibly zine-making at it’s best. Up to you!
Amalia Ulman, The German Teacher
Amalia Ulman’s novella follows a woman who secures a job at El Cobrador del Frac, a Spanish debt collection agency, through a government gender equality initiative. The narrative unfolds into a satirical exploration of bureaucracy, gender roles, and economic systems, reflecting Ulman’s penchant for blending fiction with social critique. Amalia Ulman is an Argentine-Spanish artist best known for her conceptual work exploring class, femininity, and online performance. She rose to prominence with Excellences & Perfections (2014), a staged Instagram narrative that blurred reality and fiction. The German Teacher is her literary debut, and it’s pink and cute.
Fandom
A charming spiral-bound zine that delves into the intricacies of fan culture, Fandom offers a tactile and intimate reading experience. This zine delves into the culture of fandom, examining the passionate communities that form around media, celebrities, and fictional universes. Through essays and artwork, it explores the dynamics of devotion, identity, and collective experience. Published by the collective behind ‘everyone is a girl’, this zine embodies a DIY ethos.
Ritual Zine
Summerisle gets another invocation. Ritual is pitched somewhere between the tourist pamphlet and the arcane grimoire – beautifully printed on 40 pages of high-quality PEFC-certified recycled stock, and it is printed in Essex. The zine is a collaborative effort between the creators of the Weird Walk zines and Leyline. It invites readers to explore the myths and contexts underpinning the 1973 film The Wicker Man, delving into stone circles, pagan rituals, and folk customs. The publication that delves into the rituals and traditions of Summerisle, blending folklore with reflections of the now. It serves as a contemplative piece on communal practices and seasonal observances.
Peasant Issue 1
This inaugural issue explores themes of folk culture, music, and rural traditions and features contributions from artists such as Enya, Daisy Rickman, Peter Talisman, Broadside Hacks, Boss Morris, and Abysmal Specter. The zine explores how contemporary musicians draw threads from traditional folk music, electronica, metal, and the avant-garde to create new sonic patterns. It includes discussions on the music that drives morris dancers, the influence of Enya on dungeon synth, and the inclusive folk community surrounding the Broadside Hacks Folk Club.
Leyline Zine
An exploration of earth energies and ancient pathways, Leyline Zine guides readers along the storied St. Michael line. Through essays and imagery, it uncovers the sacred sites and landscapes that have inspired seekers for generations. It’s both a primer for the curious and a companion for the seasoned wanderer. It looks much like the other UK zines suggested in the list, and I’m just deadly in love with their low-brow print-style.
Peter Vack, Sillyboy
SILLYBOY is the debut novel by Peter Vack, an American actor and filmmaker. Published by C4g Books in June 2024, the 250-page paperback delves into the complications of today’s relationships. Set in 2015 Bushwick, Brooklyn, the narrative follows Sillyboi, an aspiring filmmaker, and Chloe, a tattoo artist, as they navigate the challenges of love, ambition, and the pervasive influence of social media. Vack’s portrayal offers a satirical and poignant exploration of contemporary romantic dysfunction. The book is part-time really stupid, part time brilliant, perfectly describling the 2015-era of early social media and all of that that became the “complexities of modern life”.