Pesdaval at Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda

 

WE//ARE//ANIMAL

Facefish

Radio Rhydd

Doll Circus

Jessica Ball

The Cardiff Zine Fair

The Cardiff Zine Fair held on Saturday, March 29, 2014, served as a landmark gathering for the city's self-publishing and radical communities. Hosted at the artist-led gallery g39 in Roath, the event was organized as part of the broader "It’s the Engels of the world as we know it (and we feel fine)" series, which combined an artist book fair with radical political outreach. 

The fair acted as a vital intersection for Cardiff's contemporary activist scene and its deep-rooted punk heritage, featuring a diverse array of stalls that ranged from beautifully crafted artist books to raw, photocopied political pamphlets. 

Many of the zines presented, such as the bilingual anarcha-feminist publication ffwff, focused on pressing social issues of the time, including opposition to the "Bedroom Tax" and anti-capitalist theory. The industrial atmosphere of the g39 warehouse provided a larger platform than the café-based fairs of previous years, allowing for workshops and discussions that reinforced the DIY ethos of mutual aid and creative resistance. 

This 2014 edition is often cited as a pivotal moment that solidified the local zine community, bridging the gap between the experimental art school crowds and the grassroots anarchist organizers who had been active at spaces like the Red & Black Umbrella.

For more on the South Wales scene go to https://link2wales.co.uk/