Phoetry Zine

I started a series of mini-zines as a daily photo diary of the ordinary, everyday Switzerland. I was tired of social media’s portrayal of picturesque landscapes, with clear lakes and mammoth mountains.

Inspired by Sophie Howarth’s book, The Mindful Photographer, I wanted to move away from the constant scrolling of social media and share something physical.

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, my family moved to Davos, Graubünden.

Davos’s tourist tagline is, Sports Unlimited. I am not sporty, and I can’t ski or ice skate, but I found solace in walking. Davos is only 2km in length from Dorf to Platz, so I walked when it was -15 °C. I walked my children to school. I walked to avoid driving when the WEF was on. I walked, and I took photos of what I saw.

I knew no one in Davos, the community was small, and I did not speak German very well. This project helped me escape the isolation of COVID-19 and the loneliness of the valley.

I wrote a haiku poem for each photograph, limiting my words, stripping things back to what was important.

I started making zines in my 20s, and it is nice to revisit this format with new technologies. The project has morphed over the years, changed its name, and I now share just a selection of images in the zine format. I’ve extended my Phoetry zines to include all the places I visit in Switzerland, not just Davos.

Originally, I called the zine AUCH. Auch in German means also. AU and CH are also the country codes for Australia and Switzerland. Now, AUCH Publications is the umbrella term for all the zines and publications I produce.

If you would like a copy of one of my zines, please get in touch with me.