Zine Mela: South Asian Journeys in DIY Cultures

A day-long creative fair celebrating South Asian DIY cultures with zines, art, talks, workshops, and food.  

Featuring zines, comics, makers, social justice, solidarity, alternatives, contemporary craft, small press, underground books, punks, photography, illustration, prints, posters, and graphics from across South Asia and its diaspora. Curated by Hamja Ahsan. 

Come early for free rooh afza, chai, pakora, and carrom.  

🎤 Programme includes: Talks · Animation · Video Art · Workshop · Riso Mela Exhibition · Reading Room & Archives · Zine Open Mic  

📅 Updated timetable: hamjaahsan.com/mela  

📲 Follow: @zine.mela For the latest updates, video interviews, and event details.  

Free entry. Exhibition runs until 14 August. 

South Asia includes: Bangladesh, Kashmir, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Adivasi Indigenous Nations, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and their global diasporas.  

About the Curator: Hamja Ahsan is the founder of the legendary DIY Cultures festival (2013–2017 at London’s Rich Mix), co-curated with Sofia Niazi (OOMK/Rabbits Road Press) and Helena Wee. This is his first zine fair since then. He is the author of Shy Radicals: Antisystemic Politics of the Militant Introvert and has presented art projects at Documenta 15, among other international platforms. An artist, writer, curator, and campaigner based in London, he has been collecting and making zines since the 1990s.  

📸 IG: @shyradicals 

🐦 X: @hamjaahsan 

🎙 Media/interview enquiries: hamjaahsan.com