Paper Cuts Book / Publication / Landmark Writing

Paper Cuts is a handwritten and collaged e-zine by Malaysian Chinese and Pākehā writer Nina Mingya Powles. The zine was commissioned by The Pantograph Punch for Wellington Zinefest in 2019. Paper Cuts shares Powles’ personal inspirations for zinemaking and how she found her way to the medium.

Focusing on zinemakers from Aotearoa and Asia, the zine threads together anecdotal narratives, personal responses and artist quotes to showcase the potency of zinemaking for Powles. She shares her first experiences with zines and introduces the readers to a range of different zinemakers that have impacted her — from Kerry Ann Lee to Kaitlin Chan. Paper Cuts also emphasises the importance of this medium for queer, minority and underrepresented stories. She writes that “to make a zine is a radical act”.

Handwritten in gel pen, Powles’ writing style in Paper Cuts is similar to that of her poetry — tender, honest and verging on diaristic. She mentions memories of particular zines, explaining their personal influence: “my first ever zine workshop was with the visual artist, designer and educator Kerry Ann lee, who showed me how to fold a zine from one piece of paper". She openly shares the subjects she has previously made zines about and what she hopes to explore in the future, using cut and paste collage to reference different topics.