Overland literary journal

Mr Rudd: Protect Assange!

This is an open letter to Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Attorney-General Nicola Roxon. It calls on the Australian government to take steps to ensure Julian Assange's human rights are protected. It will be delivered on 19 December 2011, but we encourage members of the public to sign the letter below by adding their full name in the comments section, together with any comment they may wish to make. Please feel free to spread the word about the letter to others who may be interested.

Bernard Keane and Elizabeth O'Shea

The Hon Kevin Rudd
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House ACT 2600

Dear Minister

We write to express our concern about the plight of Julian Assange.

To date, no charges have been laid against Mr Ass

Written by Editorial team on 18-12-2011, 885 user comments

Lessons from the age of riots and revolution

An interview with Brad Nguyen

Brad Nguyen is the co-editor of Screen Machine, an online magazine on film, media and cultural criticism. He studied Cinema Studies at the University of Melbourne and has done film reviewing for Triple R Breakfasters. He chats with us about his essay ‘Morality Begone!’, which is featured in the latest edition of Overland.

In your essay you write that by framing outbreaks of social violence – one example being the London riots – in moral terms, ‘the true political dimension is obliterated’. Could you please describe what you mean by this? ... read more

Written by Editorial team on 15-12-2011, 1 user comment

On Breivik and Europe’s far right

An interview with Mattias Gardell

Mattias Gardell is professor of comparative religion at Uppsala University, Sweden. His research focuses on the interaction between religion and politics, and is the author of a number of publications including In the Name of Elijah Muhammad and Gods of the Blood. Following the terrorist attacks that occurred in Norway on 22 July, Mattias has focused much of his current research on the militant anti-Muslim environment that produced Anders Breivik Behring. We spoke to Mattias about his article, ‘Terror in the Norwegian woods’, which is featured in the latest edition of Overland. ... read more

Written by Editorial team on 9-12-2011, No comments

Embrace the renewables revolution

An interview with Xavier Rizos

Xavier Rizos researches relationships between economics, governance, regulation, politics and culture. We spoke to him about his article ‘Will the market save us?’ which is featured in the new Overland, and why it will take more than a ‘carbon tax’ for Australia to have an effective climate policy.

What motivated you to write this article now? Do you find that there is still much confusion around what the government’s carbon package actually involves? ... read more

Written by Editorial team on 8-12-2011, 2 user comments

Inside the mind of Jane Gleeson-White

Recently, we sat down with Overland fiction editor, Jane Gleeson-White, to pick her brain about her latest book, Double Entry.

Q: Overland readers know you as a fiction editor. Most literary types avoid both maths and economics like the devil does holy water. How did you develop and maintain such a diversity of interests?

A: I’ve always had wide-ranging interests and I think most literary types do, but perhaps my passion for maths and economics is less common (although I know others with similar interests). I’ve secretly loved maths and economics since I first met them at school, but my first love was always literature. After studying literature at university, I gave into the lure of economics and did an economics degree, studying maths-based economics and political economy. As for how I maintain my interests: by reading. I’m always reading. ... read more

Written by Editorial team on 1-12-2011, 1 user comment

Calling nonfiction writers

NonfictioNow Conference 2012
RMIT University
Call for Panels

NonfictioNow is one of the most significant gatherings of writers, teachers and readers of nonfiction from around the world. Three full days of panels, screenings and events will centre on the practice, thinking, communication and writing of nonfiction in all its forms to be hosted by RMIT University in November 2012. The Bedell NonfictioNow Conference seeks panels that showcase the diversity of the genre. Panels should have a minimum of three panelists, including the moderator. Panels can explore any aspect of nonfiction ranging from the celebration, discussion or tribute to the work of a particular essayist, or a discussion an aspect of memoir, ethics, the lyric essay, literary journalism, travel writing, food writing or regional writing. Panels that explore nonfiction at or beyond the margins of the literary, such as film, radio and online forms, are also welcome. In addition, a small number of proposed readings will be accepted for the conference. ... read more

Written by Editorial team on 24-11-2011, No comments

Scenes from the world

Written by Editorial team on 23-11-2011, No comments

End-of-year merriment

To launch issue 205 – the last edition of a thrilling publishing year – and to thank our bloggers, contributors and, especially, our readers for the past 360ish days, Overland is having a merry launch/party. Come to Chez Regine at 6pm on Friday 2 December and let us buy you a drink.

What about this new issue? we hear you ask excitedly. Superb question! In the new issue:

o Norwegian writer Mattias Gardell examines the Oslo massacre and the rise of the anti-Muslim right in Europe ... read more

Written by Editorial team on 22-11-2011, 2 user comments

A Subscriberthon wrap-up

Overland would like to offer a gigantic and sincere thank you to everyone who subscribed during the week and a bit that was Subscriberthon. Here in the office, we just employed a highly technical prize-drawing procedure (one involving numbered squares of paper and a bucket) to draw our prizewinners.

So, without further ado, the 2011 Subscriberthon prize winners are:

Major Prizes

Meanland luxury prize pack – Gabrille Bryden
Great Reads Luxury Pack – Matt McDougall
Coffee Lover’s luxury Prize Pack – Michelle Farran

... read more

Written by Editorial team on 14-11-2011, 3 user comments

Subscriberthon: The Final Countdown

It has arrived: the final day of Subscriberthon. We would like to salute our sponsors and all the Overland supporters who have subscribed this past week – thank you one and all.

But the mammoth beast that is Subscriberthon is not ready to lie down its endearing head just yet.

As regular Meanland contributor Caroline Hamilton put it so wisely just the other day:

‘Overland has gone from being Australia’s rabble-rousing rag to a digital-age digest, all the while maintaining its reputation for being socially engaged, thought-provoking and entertaining. Providing support through a subscription isn’t a question of dumb economics: “it’s online for free, stupid!” It’s not charity: “let’s help them out, lord knows they could use it!”. A subscription is a statement of conviction: independent, politically informed social and cultural commentary is as necessary to a happy society as broad-bandwidth, good music and new ideas.’

... read more

Written by Editorial team on 9-11-2011, 1 user comment

Subscriberthon: The poetry of subscribing

Folks, we have almost made it. It’s the second last day of Subscriberthon, which means we’ll soon stop bombarding you with emails and the blog will resume its daily publication of scintillating and debate-worthy posts.

Thank you to everyone who’s subscribed so far. But we still need even more support, because it takes a lot of resources and work to keep Overland on the literary map.

Take, as an example, poetry. Overland loves poetry. That’s why we run the annual Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize for New and Emerging Poets, which has a jaw-dropping first prize of $6000.

We recently asked some Overland writers why they think people should support Overland. Poet, academic and Meanland blogger Ali Alizadeh wrote: ... read more

Written by Editorial team on 8-11-2011, 5 user comments

Subscriberthon: Radical culture matters

It’s day 6 of Subscriberthon – have you subscribed yet?

If not, it’s likely it simply slipped your mind over the weekend. Or you didn’t realise that you can resubscribe during Subscriberthon and we’ll add another whole year to your subscription, even if it only started last month. Or that you can subscribe loved ones and other people you admire, because an Overland sub makes a most excellent gift. For a mere $54/$40 a year you receive 4 outstanding print issues straight to your mailbox, 352 days of a happening blog and the opportunity to be part of the Overland community – a group of progressive thinkers, writers and readers who a

Written by Editorial team on 7-11-2011, 1 user comment

Subscriberthon: The Inevitable Movie II

It’s the weekend of Subscriberthon, but that doesn't mean you can't subscribe – that’s the beauty of the internet! Thank you to all those who’ve subscribed so far and congratulations to yesterday’s Spot Prize winners: John Haycock, Judi Morrison and Jackie Wykes. Your prizes are in the post.

We appreciate you all so much that we made a second Subscriberthon movie, one that explains the real reason QEII came to town:

Go on – subscribe: you’ll feel like royalty if you do.

Already a subscriber? Not a problem, you can simply resubscribe, adding a year to the length of your subscription and making you eligible for all those prizes. Such as today's Daily Prizes:

The Fremantle Press pack
Four fab reads from Fremantle Press: Adam Morris, My dog gave me the clap; Collection, The Kid on the Karaoke Stage; Goldie Goldbloom, You Lose These + other stories; Peter Docker, The Waterboys

Australian shorts
This glorious collection of short story collections by Affirm Press (including a collection by one of Overland’s very own bloggers) is an absolute treat:

S – Bob Franklin, Under Stones
H – Barry Divola, Nineteen Seventy Something
O – Emmett Stinson, Known Unknowns
R – Gretchen Shirm, Having cried wolf
T – Leah Swann, Bearings
S – Irma Gold, Two steps forward

Drunkard’s delight
6 bottles of Platypus Gully’s finest.

What could be better than a glass of wine, the flickering fire and a good … book?

Here’s the low-down on Platypus Gully: made from MV6 and D5V12 vines planted from 1993 to 1996, the win e exhibits typical varietal nose with a deep crimson colour and fresh berry flavours. Coincidentally beautiful black cherries are grown in the region. The grapes were hand picked in March 2006, fermented in stainless steel vats and aged in new French oak for 18 months. It was bottled in January 2008 at 13.0%.

Platypus live in a dam in a deep gully 80 ft below the vineyard surrounded by tree ferns and beautiful Blackwood trees. The wine is a full flavoured but easy drinking style and is ideal for accompanying food or for just sipping by the glass.

The wine sells for $14 wholesale and $25 retail a bottle and is often seen in restaurants at $40 per bottle.

Written by Editorial team on 5-11-2011, 1 user comment

Subscriberthon: There’s no I in team

What I love about Overland is its ability to hit the mark with fiction, poetry, essays and reviews. I don’t grab bag Overland; I read it cover-to-cover. That’s a credit to the editors, all of whom have been creative and insightful in their own ways in the decade I’ve read and contributed to the journal. – Paul Mitchell

Overland is well known for its history of publishing some of Australia’s most celebrated writers. In a journal published since 1954, it’s no surprise that there has been a succession of editorial teams and we thank them all for the brilliant legacy they have gifted to the current incarnation. We take this opportunity to thank and remember Overland’s founding editor, Stephen Murray-Smith (1922–1988). ... read more

Written by Editorial team on 3-11-2011, 2 user comments