Independent Publishing Comes Together in Hamburg

Indiecon Main Entrance at Oberhafen — © Malte Spindler, brueder coop

Marie-Louise Schlutius: Which moments at Indiecon have surprised or moved you the most?

Malte Spindler: There are many, but some stay with us. The team behind the Ukrainian magazine Solomiya, for instance. They’ve joined us throughout the war. Part of the team was able to leave Kyiv temporarily, yet they continue creating a magazine in a place where everyday life and destruction exist side by side. Their reportage and artistic work act like small windows into that reality. It touches us and many visitors deeply.

And this isn’t an isolated case. Projects from countries where publishing is restricted often require extraordinary courage. Some publications from China officially don’t exist; they can’t be sold, so they travel hidden in tote bags that are allowed to be sold. At fairs that don’t call themselves fairs, links are exchanged discreetly. You see how inventive people become when they want to tell stories.

Another example is Meantime Magazine from Singapore. They work very subtly because the limits of what can be said are narrow. In their first issue, there’s one line I’ll never forget: “Maybe the luck we are looking for is simply the courage to speak, even when the room goes quiet.” It captures the essence of what many independent publishers do—quiet on the outside, immensely brave within.

MLS: Let’s rewind a bit. How did Indiecon actually begin?

MS: Before founding Indiecon in 2014, my brother Urs and I mostly worked for clients, creating magazines, books, and communication projects. It worked well, but eventually we asked ourselves what it would be like to create something of our own, something we could shape entirely ourselves. A magazine that told stories the way we wanted them told.
That was when the real research began. We wanted to understand: who else works independently, and how do they make it happen? So we started inviting people who inspired us, from students to seasoned editors. At first it was just conversations. Then suddenly around a hundred people were standing in a villa by the Alster, and we found ourselves hosting our first self-organised conference.

View of the fair — © Malte Spindler, brueder coop

MLS: How did you convince people to come to Hamburg back then?

MS: We simply asked them. It was surprising how open everyone was. Most of them did not know us, but the desire for exchange was huge. Thanks to city support and hotel deals, we offered a hotel room and good food, but above all curiosity and openness. That was what mattered. One of the first guests, Steven Watson from Stack Magazines in London, still comes today.

MLS: When did the idea of adding a fair emerge?

MS: Quite early. After the first conversations we realised that many people wanted to exchange ideas, but also needed a way to show and sell their work. In 2015, we organised a small fair, then still called “Free Trade Zone for Printed Goods”. At first it was an experiment, but we quickly saw that the fair and the conference belong together. Today everything takes place at the Oberhafenquartier in Hamburg.

On the main stage, "The Shape of Desire: Eros, Aesthetics & Editorial Resistance," with Frisson (Francesca Ceccarelli), Chéri Magazine (Gemma Ferriero), Fluffer Everyday Magazine (Sotiris Trechas),  Indiecon curator Lubi Barre — © Malte Spindler, brueder coop

MLS: Let’s talk about finances. How do you fund Indiecon?

MS: Our foundation is mostly public-funded from the City of Hamburg. Without that basic support the festival would not be possible. Everything we offer is subsidised. We also have a handful of supporters, such as paper manufacturers, printers, distributors, web hosting providers, or digital tools for publishers. Usually, Indiecon works with a small number of sponsors, some hotels and partners from the city. Hamburg is a very good place for this. The city has a lively cultural funding landscape that is open to independent initiatives. It is big enough to attract people from abroad but not as saturated as Berlin.

The funding changes every year. Currently, about half of Indiecon’s funding comes from municipal grants, while the remaining half is roughly equally split between sponsorship, event-generated income, and in-kind contributions in the form of volunteer work.

MLS: When you look at Indiecon, the diversity of exhibitors stands out. From independent magazines to publishing houses, zinesters, book artists, (riso) print studios, digital publications, and even universities. Why is that so important to you?

MS: We never wanted to show only one type of publication. Some people create magazines, others zines, others art books, or photographic projects. There are established publishers and very small initiatives. That mix is where the energy comes from. If everyone made the same thing, they would often have the same questions and fewer impulses. This way, different worlds meet and enrich each other. Out of these encounters, new magazines, companies and even families have been formed.

Table view (Exhibitor pictured: Lafat Bordieu) — © Malte Spindler, brueder coop

MLS: What does Indiecon look like behind the scenes?

MS: Most of the year I work on it alone. From spring onwards, more areas join in: curation, marketing, organisation. Over the year we’re about ten people, mostly freelancers, and during the festival another ten to fifteen helpers support us.

MLS: And how big is the festival today?

MS: We host around one hundred tables and an additional kiosk area with rotating exhibitors during our three-day Indiecon weekend each autumn. In total, about one hundred and fifty exhibitors from many countries^[1] take part, and each year we welcome around four thousand visitors.

MLS: Beyond the fair, there’s a programme. What do you offer?

MS: We don’t curate a top-down conference. Every exhibitor can propose sessions they want to host: workshops, readings, roundtables, talks, or something more experimental. We collect all ideas at the beginning of the year and build a programme that reflects what’s happening in independent publishing right now. It’s a very collaborative structure. People actively shape the content of the festival.

Indiecon Main Entrance at Oberhafen — © Malte Spindler, brueder coop