About

The Sydney Review of Books is an online journal devoted to long-form literary criticism. It is motivated by the belief that in-depth analysis and robust critical discussion are crucial to the development of Australia’s literary culture. We decided to embark on this project because of our concerns about the reduced space for serious literary criticism in the mainstream media, and the newspapers in particular, given their uncertain future. We intend the Sydney Review of Books to be a venue in which Australian writers and critics can engage with books at length, a venue in which to rediscover the intimate connection between the art of criticism and the art of the essay. The Review’s focus is Australian writing, but it also considers the work of significant overseas authors.

Sydney Review of Books has been developed with the support of the Writing and Society Research Centre at the University of Western Sydney. It is also supported by grants from the Australia Council and Copyright Agency Limited. It has been conceived as a free online publication, in order to maximise its reach. We publish new essays and reviews on a weekly basis and, in offering a selection of high quality criticism by some of the best critics and writers in the country, we hope to enlist your support as readers to ensure that the Review can continue as a dynamic contributor to our literary culture.

If you like what you read here, if you feel that we are offering essays that you are unlikely to find elsewhere, please tell your friends, family, colleagues, students and fellow-students, everyone with an interest, to visit this site. And don’t forget to leave your email address, so that we can contact you with news of each update.

Letters to the editor are welcome.

James Ley
editor@sydneyreviewofbooks.com

For further information about the SRB’s rationale see James Ley’s interview in Meanjin.

Structure

Editor: James Ley

James Ley holds a PhD in English literature from the University of Western Sydney. He has been a professional literary critic for fifteen years. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including the Age, the Australian, the Times Literary Supplement, Australian Book Review and the Sydney Morning Herald.

Editorial Coordinator: Alice Grundy

Digital Coordinator: Ben Denham

Site Design: Connor Tomas O’Brien