Grrrl Zine Fair is turning 10 and to celebrate a decade of championing feminist creativity and DIY publishing it is returning with its most ambitious edition yet. Taking over The Old Waterworks in Southend-on-Sea, the weekend promises a vibrant and inclusive programme of zines, music, workshops, exhibitions and more.
Founded by artist and curator Lu Williams, Grrrl Zine Fair has grown from a zine stall into a vital platform for voices often missing in mainstream media. Past collaborations have included the V&A Museum, British Film Institute, Women’s Prize for Fiction and artists such as Florence Given, Tatty Devine, and BBC London.
This special anniversary edition invites all ages and identities to get hands-on and inspired by a packed programme that includes:
Live music & DJ sets: featuring Restless Taxis, Caitlin King, The Femcels (DJ Set), Areola Grande Latte (DJ) and more surprise guests.
20+ zine stalls across both days, showcasing the best in independent publishing including FEM Zine, Aether Mag, THIIIRD, Hate Zine, Sweet-Thang, Paper Moon Zines and many more.
Workshops and activities: from risograph printing and badge-making to screen printing your clothes, junk journaling, live portrait booths, DJ and Comedy skills.
Comedy, film and conversations: including performances by comedians Elaine Robertson and Anna Gray, and a screening of The Disappearance of Shere Hite.
Food and drink from Stoked, Leigh-on-Sea Brewery, Sababa (cocktails), Lazy Sloth Coffee and more TBA.
Accessibility: quiet hour on Saturday (1–2pm), morning yoga on Sunday and a dedicated sensory space from The Welfare Lot to support wellbeing throughout the weekend.
As part of this year’s landmark edition, Grrrl Zine Fair is proud to present new work by eight commissioned artists selected from over 500 applications. Four joined an in-person residency in Southend, and four took part in a digital programme, mentored by founder Lu Williams. Together, these residencies support artists to explore radical themes through zine-making, from diasporic identity and feminist nightlife to working-class storytelling and digital burnout. The resulting zines and artworks will be exhibited at the fair, showcasing a dynamic cross-section of voices shaping the future of publishing.
“Grrrl Zine Fair has always been about building space for creativity, community and care and ten years on, that feels more important than ever. This year’s edition is a celebration of independent publishing and voices and everything feminist and unapologetically joyful. I’m so proud of the artists we’re working
Lu Williams, founder of Grrrl Zine Fair,
with and excited to open up the fair to new audiences, old friends, and everyone in between.”
Grrrl Zine Fair, 20th-21st September September,2025
the Old Waterworks, Southend-on-Sea
*To reserve your free tickets visit grrrlzinefair.com
About
Grrrl Zine Fair is a community interest company started by artist Lu Williams, as a way of bringing together and supporting feminist zine makers. Zines makers come from all walks of life and anyone can make a zine, but they particularly resonate with those who have been disenfranchised and whose voices are often missing in mainstream media. We continue to platform those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, women, transgender and non-binary, LGBTQIA+ and black and POC zine makers.
Grrrl Zine Fair started in 2015 with the first zine fair in Oxford, since then we’ve hosted multiple fairs in London, at music festivals and more recently at our studios The Old Waterworks in Southend-on-sea, thanks to Arts Council England funding
