The following letters are sent to past selves, future selves, family from long ago, or family we have yet to meet. The great power of zines is that they can be totally anonymous, and through zine trades, zine libraries, and zine fairs, you can never be quite sure where your zine will end up. There is power in sending a message in a bottle out into the great unknown, but there is also validation, comfort, and reassurance in receiving a message reaffirming your own experiences and identity.
Content warnings: this page contains artwork and writing on subjects of murder, violence, and domestic abuse
Chiara & Mandy, Dear Baby
“The zine is a dedication and a message to our incoming baby from their two mammas. It is a snapshot of how the baby came to be, and our excitement of getting to know them soon.”
"While I'm waiting for her to write to me, I'll write to you. Hold on, hold on! You can do it."
Emma D
A letter from E to J
“Since beginning my gender transition, my previous life has been thrown into a whole different light. This letter is an attempt to make sense of that time and to reconnect with my younger self. “
Eva Monxy, Sling yr Hook
“My zine is a snapshot of a longer piece I'm working on about the oddly intertwined relationship I have with my gay great uncle who was murdered when I was an infant. It's about queer legacy, narratives of understanding and family, and the unconscious interplay between two working class queer lives split in time, but connected by blood and by expectation. I think I wanted to spend more time with the uncle who's death shaped my life.”
Anonymous, Message for me
“I sat down, rifled through the pages [of the resource pack] sent to me by the project and thought about what I wanted to hear from this message. What stood out to me in the pages was domestic violence - so I spoke to myself about that for the first time.”