Book//Zine 001. Images by Ross Landenberger and courtesy of Burnaway.
Tired of scrolling endlessly? Feeling nostalgic and craving the feel of a printed page? This Saturday, October 24 is a chance to unplug and support analog art at Book // Zine 002, Burnaway’s second festival for homemade media at the Goat Farm Arts Center.
The idea for a zine festival took shape in late 2024, when Executive Director Brandon Sheats pondered the idea of Burnaway—his nonprofit magazine that covers contemporary art and criticism—hosting a book fair. Sheats shared his thoughts with his colleague, Program and Development Manager Madeline Benfield, and, in his words, “she just ran with it.”
“The speed with which it all happened and the sheer response that came out of it—it really did jump from idea to reality,” he says.
Book//Zine 001. Images by Ross Landenberger and courtesy of Burnaway.
Last year’s inaugural Book // Zine brought together an estimated 90 exhibitors and 1,000 attendees, and this year’s list of exhibitors is even longer, spanning 30 cities and 16 states. This year’s layout has an expanded footprint. An additional room at Goat Farm will connect to the main floor, enabling more exhibitors to set up their zine tables.
“With more exhibitors, we needed extra space,” Sheats says. “It’s a sign that there’s a hunger in the ecosystem.”
Sheats and Benfield agree the event’s first year was a success partly because of the magazine’s network. Covering art and criticism in the American South and the Caribbean, Burnaway publishes digital content each week, plus annual print editions known as Readers. It felt natural to develop another platform for visibility.
Book//Zine 001. Images by Ross Landenberger and courtesy of Burnaway.
“We wanted to bring artists together from different places,” Benfield says. “We’re constantly doing so on the magazine side, but we wanted a survey of the ecosystem at large, not just Atlanta. A lot of people make art books or zines with their own funding, and it’s important for them to know that people value their work.”
This year’s attendees can look forward to a lounge area to enjoy coffee from Curated Coffee and food. Goat Farm’s bar will serve wine and cocktails.
The event is free to attend, but the staff urges festivalgoers to register in advance online.
Sheats says the Burnaway staff is also working on some future projects to honor Atlanta’s “rich visual art tradition.”
“We’ll be doing some interesting projects in the coming year or two, heading into our 20-year anniversary in 2028,” he says.
Meanwhile, excitement about Book // Zine 002 is palpable.
“I wish we could have Book // Zine every day — it’s my favorite day of the year,” Benfield says, beaming.
