New Brunswick authors find needed community in small fairs.
Charlotte Street Arts Centre’s Jim Myles Auditorium transformed into a place filled with vibrant colours and enthusiastic people on September 12 for Printed Matters: Indie Press & Zine Fair.
Upon watching the authors and vendors set up and the people walking around at the zine fair, an author named Jane Tims caught my attention.
Sometimes the vendors with the least amount of people around them end up telling you great stories. That is what happened when I walked up to chat with Tims.
Tims is an author and poet who has written an impressive 39 books in 12 years. Along with being a writer, she is also a botanist and historian. She is a member of the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick and three writing groups.
Tims has always been a storyteller and writer, but it was only when she retired that she began to realize her dream. With the help of Chapel Street Editions in Woodstock, she was able to publish her first book, Eating Edible Wild Plants.
“I will never forget the thrill of launching the book and looking up to see a line of people waiting for me to sign my book,” Tims said.
Tims offered recommendations for future readers of her work: “If you love to read, I hope you enjoy my work as a ‘cosy read.’ I also like to give my characters interesting careers (star cartographer, botanist, welder, artist, carpenter) and I hope that adds to the value of my writing.”
She says her favourite book is Hollow Hotel. This is the fourth book in her urban mysteries series and was published in 2025.
Hollow Hotel is a novel loosely based on a true story about woman who climbed the old hospital in Saint John, New Brunswick. In Tims’ novel, three people try to climb the same site.
Another novel Tims mentioned is called City Grotesque, written in 2024, a story based on sixteen sculptures located at Chubb’s Corner at the third-floor windows in Saint John. There are different opinions on these sculptures, but some people think some of them could be based on real people. The novel includes Tims’ pictures of the grotesque sculptures.
Tims also writes poetry. One of the books on her table is called in the shelter of the covered bridge, written in 2017. In this self-illustrated book, she writes about animals seen while exploring covered bridges.
There were many other things to peruse at the Fair: books, zines, art, the Fiddlehead, University of New Brunswick’s Resolve which showcased a UNB card game, local campus radio 97.9 FM CHSR, and other independent media. Along with with free zines, every one of them showed its creator’s amazing work, there was also a zine making workshop and talks happening throughout the day.
Tims offered advice for writers: “Joining the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick has been very helpful in my journey as a writer, providing workshops to help me develop skills and a place to meet other writers. I’d recommend joining a small writing group since this gives a writer an opportunity to read new work aloud (a step on the editing path) and discuss aspects of the writer’s life. Writers also need to know that attention has to be paid to every step in the author process: creating, editing, formatting (choosing a cover design, etc.) and marketing.”
There is a long history of these types of fairs in Fredericton, but since the death of editor, poet and artist Joe Blades, there haven’t been many. It’s very positive for Fredericton’s rich literary scene for this event to return to create opportunities both for writers and the public.
Emma Benjamin is a UNB student studying English and is originally from Nova Scotia. She is completing an Arts 3000 Internship with the NB Media Co-op.
