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In January 2019 I was honoured, excited, and a little nervous, to become the new fiction editor of Overland Literary Journal. After all, this is a storied publication, one of Australia’s longest-running literary journals with a proud political and artistic record of publishing exciting new writers since 1954.

I love that Overland is so connected to its history. For example, in 2017 I was on a joint panel for Overland and the Melbourne International Film Festival inspired by an academic paper I gave on Peter Carey’s short story ‘Crabs’, which was adapted for film as Dead End Drive-In (screened at MIFF along with our panel). ‘Crabs’ was first published in Overland in 1972, marking one of the earliest publications of one of Australia’s most significant writers. In the lead up to this panel, then-fiction editor Jennifer Mills interviewed Carey about his story, which was also republished in 228 spring 2017. Looking back on his story Carey said:

I was obsessed with seeing the familiar urban Australia as strange and new. I would often liken this perspective to the experience of looking at the world upside down, between your legs: colours become strange and bright, relationships all new. 

This is the kind of fiction that is so exciting to publish in Overland, seeing what might be familiar to us in Australian life as strange and new, with bright and strange colours. ‘Crabs’ is one of the main reasons I wanted to edit fiction for Overland – to discover a writer so exhilarating, with new things to say about Australia. Overland is, I believe, publishing some great new fiction that is just as electrifying, taking us in new directions. There’s a number of stories we’ve published recently that are fresher, more original, than the last few stories I’ve read in The New Yorker. Finally, in that interview, Carey reminds us of the importance of Australian voices in fiction:

We Australian writers are blessed. We have so many lies to question, so many secrets to delve into. There are so many people who have been invisible and overlooked. Yes, it’s a national project. We are collectively writing ourselves into existence. Now, if only our leaders would take a little extra time to read.

Claire Corbett, fiction editor


So, how does Subscriberthon work? Anyone who subscribes, renews, donates or gives a gift sub over the next week goes into three prize draws – Major Prizes, Daily Prizes and Regional Prizes – for the chance to win some truly terrific prizes, including a week long writing workshop in Byron Bay, a 7-day Yarra Valley retreat, a 6-month coffee subscription, a state-of-the-art turntable, drinks and vinyl pairings, digital literature workshops, chocolate, coffee, and mountains of books and subscriptions.


Today’s prize

Ink Up


A $300 voucher for your very own tattoo from Crucible Tattoo Co

A one-year subscription to Archer

A bottle of Noisy Ritual 2019 Heathcote Shiraz

A one-year subscription to Crikey

An amazing merch pack from Triple R, including:

  • A Triple R classic logo T-shirt
  • A RRRadio city T-shirt
  • 2 x Triple R stubby holders 
  • A killer collection of CDs, including: English Graffiti by The Vaccines, Needle Paw by Nai Palm, Revival by Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Mothers by Swim Deep, Get to Heaven by Everything Everything, Little Dark Age by MGMT and Lost & Found by Jorja Smith
  • Radio City: the first 30 years of 3RRR by Mark Phillips
  • Midnight Oil, Armistice Day: Live at the Domain on DVD
  • Triple R tote bag

These exciting SubbedIn titles:

Uncle Hercules and other lies by Patrick Lenton

wheeze by Marcus Whale

The Naming by Aisyah Shah Idil

Girls and Buoyant by Emily Crocker

Haunt (The Koolie) by Jason Gray

The Hostage by Šime Knežević

When I Die Slingshot My Ashes Onto The Surface of the Moon by Jennifer Nguyen

blur by the by Cham Zhi Yi

If You’re Sexy and You Know It Slap Your Hams by Eloise Grills

Parenthetical Bodies by Alex Gallagher


Major prizes

☟ ▼ ❣ ▼ ☛


Major Prize One
Write Like a Wombat

What’s in this major prize?

An exciting one-week writing retreat at The Burrow at Wombat Bend in the Yarra Valley (includes seven nights accommodation in a beautiful cottage on a Land For Wildlife property, and breakfast provisions)

A one-year subscription to Crikey

A bottle of Noisy Ritual 2019 Heathcote Shiraz

A  book pack from Transit Lounge, including the following titles:

The Returns by Philip Salom

Everything in its Right Place by Tobias McCorkell

The Rock by Aaron Smith

Broken Rules and Other Stories by Barry Lee Thompson

Revenge by S. L. Lim

✎ ✐

Major Prize Two
Vinyl Revival

What’s in this major prize?

An absolutely state-of-the-art turntable from Vinyl Revival.

Two mind-blowing pairings from Funky Duck Vinyl:

Both Sides of the Sky (Jimi Hendrix) + Blackbilly Sangiovese &

The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East (2LP) + Mountain Goat Steam Ale 6 pack

A one-year subscription to Crikey

✎ ✐

Major Prize Three
Sail Away  

What’s in this major prize?

8 nights in Byron Bay for one of the (in)famous Global Hobo writing workshops, hosted by your experienced writing tutors, Gemma Clarke, Nat Kassel and Mariama Mansfield-Njie!

$300 towards flights and/or transport to Byron Bay

A limited edition Overland tote, with original intricate illustration of solidarity by cartoonist Sam Wallman

An enviable book pack from Scribe, including:

The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay

Rise & Shine by Patrick Allington

The World in the Whale by Rebecca Giggs

Frying Plantain by Zalika Reid-Benta

A one-year subscription to Crikey


Regional prizes

☟ ▼ ❣ ▼ ☛


Australian Capital Territory

A one-year print subscription to Voiceworks

The Good Copy ‘Stop. Grammar Time enrolment (online)

A bottle of Noisy Ritual 2019 Heathcote Shiraz

A delicious block of plant-based Winnow Chocolate

UQP tote bag

These excellent UQP titles:

Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe

Ordinary Matter by Laura Elvery

Mammoth by Chris Flynn

Just Money by Royce Kurmelovs

Talkin’ up to the white woman by Aileen Moreton-Robinson

Ask Me About the Future by Rebecca Jessen

These excellent Magabala titles:

Guwayu–For All Times, edited by Jeanine Leane

Maar Bidi: Next Generation Black Writing, edited by Elfie Shiosaki and Linda Martin

A collection of Cordite titles, including:

About the Author is Dead by Pascalle Burton

These Wild Houses by Omar Sakr

Breathing Plural by Em König

Yuiquimbiang by Louise Crisp

Dirty Words by Natalie Harkin

Labour and Other Poems by Astrid Lorange

Walk Back Over by Jeanine Leane

✎ ✐

New South Wales

A one-year subscription to The Monthly

Three pottery classes at The Pottery Shed in Surry Hills

Free coffee every day for a month at Bourke Street Bakery

A bottle of Noisy Ritual 2019 Heathcote Shiraz

A one-year subscription to Crikey

A delicious block of plant-based Winnow Chocolate

The following mixed titles:

Jack by Marilynne Robinson

Sharks in the Time of Saviours by Kawai Strong Washburn

Oh Happy Day by Carmen Callil

How To Break Up With Friends by Hannah Korrel

There Was Still Love by Favel Parrett

✎ ✐

Northern Territory

A really cool Print Pals lino kit from Print Safari 

A bottle of Noisy Ritual 2019 Heathcote Shiraz

A delicious block of plant-based Winnow Chocolate

One-year membership to NT Writers Centre

A one-year subscription to Crikey

We Are Here, edited by Meg Mundel (Affirm Press)

A collection of Penguin Random House titles, including:

The Spill by Imbi Neeme

Life After Truth by Ceridwen Dovey

The Coconut Children by Vivian Pham 

Vida: A Woman For Our Time by Jacqueline Kent

✎ ✐

Queensland

2 x $50 voucher to Avid Reader (to be spent in store or online)

A one-year subscription to Jacobin

A one-year membership to Queensland Writers Centre

A bottle of Noisy Ritual 2019 Heathcote Shiraz

A delicious block of plant-based Winnow Chocolate

A limited edition Overland tote, with original intricate illustration of solidarity by cartoonist Sam Wallman

Craftwork Roasting coffee beans (250g)

The following excellent UQP titles:

Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe

Ordinary Matter by Laura Elvery

Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko

Born Into This by Adam Thompson

Only Happiness Here by Gabrielle Carey

✎ ✐

South Australia

A one-year subscription to Southerly

Two passes to Laneway Learning (online)

A one-year membership to Writers SA

A bottle of Noisy Ritual 2019 Heathcote Shiraz

A limited edition Overland tote, with original intricate illustration of solidarity by cartoonist Sam Wallman

A one-year subscription to Crikey

The following Recent Work Press titles:

I Don’t Know How that Happened by Oliver Driscoll

Airplane Baby Banana Blanket by Benjamin Dodds

Some Sketchy Notes On Matter by Angela Gardner

Unbelonging by Nathaniel O’Reily

Man-Handled by Melinda Smith

Wild Curious Air by Jill Jones

These fabulous mixed titles:

Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi

Half Wild by Pip Smith

Just Like You by Nick Hornby

Mother of Pearl by Angela Savage

Things Nobody Knows But Me by Amra Pajalic

The Kowloon Kid: A Hong Kong Childhood by Phil Brown

✎ ✐

Tasmania

A one-year subscription to Island

A delicious block of plant-based Winnow Chocolate

A bottle of Noisy Ritual 2019 Heathcote Shiraz

Craftwork Roasting coffee beans (250g)

A collection of Affirm Press titles, including:

Shirl by Wayne Marshall

Eight Lives by Susan Hurley

Anchor Point by Alice Robinson

Water Colour by Greg French

Barking Dogs by Rebekah Clarkson

My Tidda, My Sister by Marlee Silva (HardieGrant Publishing)

A fabulous collection of Seizure titles, including:

Offshore by Joshua Mostafa

Dark Wave by Lana Guineay

Listurbia by Carly Cappielli

Late Sonata by Bryan Walpert

The Bed-Making Competition by Anna Jackson

✎ ✐

Victoria

Melbourne Djembe West African Dance or Drum class pass x 2

A one-year membership to Writers Victoria

Limited edition Overland  t-shirt, with original intricate illustration of solidarity by cartoonist Sam Wallman

Two ground passes to Montsalvat 

A fresh fruit and veg box from The Flying Zucchinis, delivered to your door!

These UWAP titles:

Scratchland by Noëlle Janaczewska

Anh and Lucien by Tony Page

Recipe for Risotto by Josephine Clarke 

The Weave by Thurston Moore and John Kinsella

✎ ✐

Western Australia

A one-year subscription to How We Roll 100% recycled eco toilet paper

An exciting book pack from Better Read Than Dead, including:

Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko

There Was Still Love by Favel Parrett

Half Wild by Pip Smith 

Behind the Enigma: the Authorised History of GCHQ by John Ferris

A one-year subscription to Westerly

A delicious block of plant-based Winnow Chocolate

The following enviable titles from Fremantle Press:

Of Memory and Furniture by Bron Bateman

Small Steps: a Physio in Ethiopia by Julie Sprigg

How to be an Author: The Business of Being a Writer by Georgia Richter and Deborah Hunn

Return Ticket by Jon Doust

Shore Leave by David Whish-Wilson

✎ ✐

New Zealand

An incredible collection of titles from Victoria University Press, including:

Funkhaus by Hinemoana Baker

The Swimmers by Chloe Lane

Monsters in the Garden by Elizabeth Knox and David Larsen

Dead People I Have Known by Shayne Carter

A one-year subscription to Crikey

Limited edition Overland T-shirt, with original intricate illustration of solidarity by cartoonist Sam Wallman

 


Take me to the subscription options at once!

  

Read all about our incredible sponsors here!

 

Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places.

If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate.


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