Overland (magazine)

This article is about the Australian magazine. For the American magazine, see Overland Monthly. For other uses, see Overland (disambiguation).

Overland is an Australian literary and cultural magazine, established in 1954 and as of April 2020^[update] published quarterly in print as well as online.

Overland

Spring 2008 cover
Editor	Evelyn Araluen and Jonathan Dunk
Former editors	Jacinda Woodhead
Categories	Literature, culture
Frequency	Quarterly & online
Total circulation (2004)	2000[1]
Founded	1954
Country	Australia
Based in	Melbourne
Language	English
Website	overland.org.au
ISSN	0030-7416

History

Overland was established in 1954,^[2] under the auspices of the Realist Writers Group in Melbourne, with Stephen Murray-Smith as the first editor-in-chief.^[3][4] It was initially formed by anti-Stalinist members of the Communist Party of Australia and other members of the 1950s New Left.^[5]

Editors

The magazine has been edited by:

• Stephen Murray-Smith, 1954–1988
• Barrett Reid, 1988–1993^[6]
• John McLaren, Spring 1993 – Autumn 1997^[7]
• Ian Syson, Winter 1997 – Summer 2002^[8]
• Nathan Hollier and Katherine Wilson, Autumn 2002 – Spring 2004^[1]
• Nathan Hollier, 2005–2006
• Jeff Sparrow, 2007–2014
• Jacinda Woodhead, 2015–2019
• Evelyn Araluen and Jonathan Dunk, since 2019

Description

Overland describes itself as "Australia’s oldest radical literary magazine", which publishes fiction, poetry, non-fiction and art. It says it "continues to document lesser-known stories and histories [and] give a voice to those whose stories are otherwise marginalised, misrepresented or ignored, and point public debate in alternative directions".^[9][10]

Its formats are a quarterly print journal (which publishes fiction, poetry and essays) and an online magazine containing daily cultural commentary and occasional fiction and poetry. It also "holds events, discussions and debates, hosts a number of major literary competitions, and runs a residency for under-represented writers".^[10]

As of December 2019^[update], the editors-in-chief are Evelyn Araluen and Jonathan Dunk, and it is published by a not-for-profit organisation. Its patron is Barry Jones.^[10]

Competitions

• Judith Wright Poetry Prize for New and Emerging Poets (A$9,000), established in 2007^[11]
• Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize (A$5,000)^[12]
• Nakata Brophy Short Fiction and Poetry Prize for Young Indigenous Writers (A$5,000, publication in the print magazine, and a writing residency at Trinity College, University of Melbourne^[13]
• Victoria University Short Story Prize for New Writers (A$8,000)^[14]
• Fair Australia Prize (A$20,000)^[15]
• Overland Kuracca Prize for Australian Literature in honour of Kerry Reed-Gilbert (A$8,000)^[16]

See also

• List of literary magazines