Small Press Flea

  1. Home
  2. Wiki

Small Press Flea
StatusActive
GenreBook fair; zine fair
Location(s)Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Years active2013–present
Organized byBOMB Magazine; formerly co-presented with Brooklyn Public Library

The Small Press Flea (SPF), sometimes listed as the Brooklyn Small Press Flea, is an annual outdoor fair in Brooklyn, New York City, that showcases independent presses, literary magazines, and zine makers.[1] The event typically takes place in August and has featured dozens of publishers and magazines each year. In 2024 the fair moved from the steps of the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library at Grand Army Plaza to Amant, a contemporary art center in East Williamsburg.[2][3]

History

[edit]

BOMB Magazine organized the inaugural Small Press Flea in 2013 in the backyard of Unnameable Books, with a dozen participating presses, before expanding the fair in subsequent years.[2][4] By the mid-2010s, SPF was regularly held on the plaza of the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library at Grand Army Plaza and was co-presented by BOMB and the Library.[5][6] Local coverage highlighted the growth of the fair and its roster of small and independent publishers.[7][8][9][10]

After the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 reduced many in-person literary events, SPF returned in 2021 on the Library’s steps and continued there in 2022.[11][12][13]

In 2024, BOMB announced that SPF would relocate to Amant in East Williamsburg.[1][2][3]

Programming and format

[edit]

SPF is typically an outdoor marketplace featuring tables for small presses, nonprofit publishers, and magazines, with book and zine sales, signings, and occasional workshops. In 2024, Amant hosted additional programming such as a zine-making workshop alongside the fair; the day concluded with an evening market and music.[3][14] The event has been described as a summer market of "local publishers and magazines," with vendors offering discounted or special-edition titles.[15]

Exhibitors

[edit]

Over the years, participating presses have included A Public Space, Ugly Duckling Presse, Verso Books, Nightboat Books, Zone Books, Printed Matter, and others from New York and beyond.[7][16][17][18][19][20]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Bomb's Small Press Flea Returns to Brooklyn". Publishers Weekly. August 7, 2025. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "BOMB's Small Press Flea Returns in 2024". BOMB Magazine. July 17, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Small Press Flea 2024". Amant. 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  4. ^ Berman, Hannah (September 25, 2024). "The borough's best indie publishers". BKMAG. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  5. ^ "The Small Press Flea". Brooklyn Public Library. August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  6. ^ "2019 Small Press Flea". Brooklyn Public Library. August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Theodoropoulos, Eleni (August 28, 2019). "At Brooklyn's 2019 Small Press Flea". Literary Hub. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  8. ^ De Vries, Susan (August 14, 2019). "Snag Some Great Reads at the Small Press Flea". Brownstoner. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  9. ^ "Brooklyn Small Press Flea". Time Out New York. 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  10. ^ Sanchez, Cristina (August 29, 2024). "Notes On A Small Press Flea In East Williamsburg". Bushwick Daily. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  11. ^ "2021 Small Press Flea (SPF21)". Brooklyn Public Library. August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  12. ^ "Catch the Small Press Flea This Saturday!". Brooklyn Public Library (Blog). August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  13. ^ "2022 Small Press Flea (SPF22)". Brooklyn Public Library. August 20, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  14. ^ "BOMB's Small Press Flea 2025". Amant. 2025. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  15. ^ "Small Press Flea 2024". BOMB Magazine (event listing). 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  16. ^ "Small Press Flea". A Public Space. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  17. ^ "Ugly Duckling Presse: Small Press Flea 2022". Ugly Duckling Presse. August 20, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  18. ^ "BOMB Small Press Flea (2024)". Nightboat Books. August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  19. ^ "Zone Books at SPF '21". Zone Books. 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  20. ^ "Small Press Flea Art Book Fair". Dancing Foxes Press. 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2025.