This October, creators of artists’ books, zines, mini-comics, and other self-made publications will have the chance to share their creations with Middle Tennessee at the first Handmade & Bound Nashville. The festival will be held on Saturday, October 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Watkins College of Art, Design, and Film (2298 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., Nashville).

“Handmade & Bound Nashville is a festival celebrating independent publications and printed matter. It’s an event for publishers and artists to come together to sell or trade their handmade and affordable publications and creations,” said Watkins Library Director Lisa Williams, one of the festival organizers. “We want to draw attention to the wonderful creations being made in Tennessee and beyond.”

The festival is open to creators of artists’ books and other printed media; publishers of zines, mini-comics, chapbooks, etc.; small distributors of zines or other printed media; and producers of book arts, handmade journals, and one-of-a-kind book objects. Organizers plan for the festival to include hands-on workshops, speakers, a documentary screening, and other activities, some of which will take place on Friday, September 30. Additional details will be announced this summer.

In addition to the festival, Watkins is sponsoring a juried book arts and zine exhibition, on the theme Encoded Structures: Interpreting the Story, which will be held in the Watkins gallery during the month of October. Submissions for the gallery exhibition will be accepted through August 1, and prizes will be awarded. The exhibition is open to book works in the form of artists’ books, zines, and comics, and will focus on works that use form, content, and context within every aspect of the object’s structure to convey a message and theme to the reader.

Vendor table registration, as well as the rules and guidelines for submitting to the gallery exhibition, can be found at handmadeboundnashville.com.

Handmade & Bound Nashville is organized by librarians and staff from Watkins College of Art, Design, and Film and the Linebaugh Public Library, along with local book artists. For more information, visit handmadeboundnashville.com, find Handmade Bound Nashville on Facebook, or contact Watkins College Library at 615-277-7440.