This issue goes to print on the cusp of a darkening world… Overland 255 is the second issue in a suite of four special editions dedicated to commemorating 70 years of Overland. In this issue, Samuel J Cox interviews Kim Scott on his works True Country (1993) and Benang (1995) in ‘Writing from the South’. Elsewhere, Juliet Scott interrogates ‘The Australian Media’s problem with Palestine’ and Sam Ryan looks back at Overland and the state of arts funding in Australia from 1973 to 1975. This issue also features poetry from Yeena Kirkbright, DJ Huppatz, Debbie Lim, among others, and short fiction from Lauren Collee, Madeline Byrne and Jordan Smith.
Aamer Rahman is one half of cult comedy duo Fear of a Brown Planet. As well as doing stand-up comedy, he has also written for television, including for Balls of Steel Australia. In 2009 he was one of 10 writers selected to attend an exclusive scriptwriting workshop in the UK. Besides touring his standup in sold-out shows at home and overseas (most recently at Edinburgh), he has also appeared on Comedy Channel’s You Have Been Watching, and Channel 10’s Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala. He is a regular contributor to Political Asylum, Melbourne’s topical stand-up comedy night.