Small but Mighty: A Walkthrough History of Zines, Chapbooks, and Small Presses
Instructor: Maia Trotter (Bruce Peel Special Collections).
Description: This hands-on workshop will invite participants to explore the history of ephemeral publications such as zines, chapbooks, and items created by small presses. In other words, the publications of everyday life that are not published, printed, or distributed through corporatized streams. The origins of ephemeral publications are rooted in resistance, self-expression, and the drive to share thoughts and ideas with broader audiences. Ephemeral publications have and continue to create low-cost and accessible ways to engage with print, create communities, and disseminate information that might otherwise go unrecorded. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the significance of small and ephemeral prints and publications in the context of modern publishing, and examine some unique marvels such as Scottish chapbooks, humorous broadsides, and local favourites (like Hungry Zine!).
The website for Bruce Peel Special Collections offers detailed information about this series of workshops as well as information about research and exhibitions.
- Date:
- Monday, February 2, 2026
- Time:
- 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
- Location:
- Bruce Peel Special Collections
- Audience:
- Faculty Graduate Students Staff Undergraduate Students
- Categories:
- In-person Delivery