Literary journals, magazines, small publishers and independent literary organisations are the powerhouses of Australian literature. They offer platforms for writers and arts workers alike to develop their skills, to encounter peers and audiences, and to build their careers. And in turn, small publishers and publications are the place where audiences in Australia and around the world encounter new ideas, new writers, new forms of practice. Australian literature would be less diverse and less interesting without them.
Former SRB editor Catriona Menzies-Pike and researcher Samuel Ryan have been conducting research into how Australian literary journals operate. They spoke with the editors and directors of 22 Australian literary journals and surveyed a total of 29 organisations in late 2022 and early 2023, taking as their focus three main areas of inquiry: digital practice, audience engagement, and remuneration for artists and arts workers. Respondents had a great deal to say about the forms of cultural value delivered by literary journals – and about the real challenges they faced in maintaining skills, connecting with audiences and, most of all, paying artists and arts workers at a fair rate.
Read the full report here.