In this highly anticipated new issue, we encounter brilliant examples of what writing can do in a hypernormal time – whether that's Benjamin Gready on the absurdity of fieldwork on land under active occupation or Zahid Gamieldien's short story about a dancing rat who finds itself enmeshed in systems too shadowy to be true. But, as with the emotional cycles of resistance, hope and snark are features too. Dan Hogan considers the lawn as a class obsession, and π.ο. asks a question: why people hate poetry? We also read about a rakhasa family who passes on wisdom to their young kin, a story by Shefali Mathew. And you’ll find new poetry by Eli McLean, Fiona Hile and Sol Chan, among others, as well as a comic by Safdar Ahmed, plus heaps more. Co-editors Evelyn Araluen and Jonathan Dunk write in the editorial, "Writing always matters, but it matters most directly in the face of this kind of thuggish assault on language, our first and last commons. We can’t let the bastards have it.”
Overland relies on its subscribers for survival. While all work will be read, we cannot guarantee response times to submissions by non-subscribers. You can support Overland by becoming a subscriber.
You can download our style guide here and our referencing guide here.
Overland is a quarterly print journal (publishing essays, stories and poetry) and an online magazine, publishing non-fiction articles regularly each week. Overland also occasionally publishes special online editions of fiction and poetry. Those wishing to submit material are strongly urged to familiarise themselves with Overland and its various projects. Overland will not – except in special circumstances – accept submissions that have been previously published elsewhere, including on the internet.
Overland has a proud history of publishing underrepresented writers and promoting manifold voices. We are especially keen on receiving submissions from women writers of colour in all areas – fiction, poetry, nonfiction and art.
Writers wishing to submit articles to the online magazine should look at our pitch page. This lists the topics we would particularly like to cover and provides a mechanism through which writers can pitch articles on these and other subjects. Please note that we only accept personal essays and creative non-fiction for the online magazine if it is directly and consistently linked to political concerns. Please note: if you are pitching an already-written piece, it’s best to just send us the draft to consider.
We ask all authors to submit their work via Submittable, an electronic submission manager. This facility allows authors to track the progress of their submission. It does require the creation of an account but this process is very simple.
Overland endeavours to reply to submissions as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the quantity received means that the process can take time and we ask contributors for patience.
Rates for articles in the online magazine – $170 (plus 12% superannuation for ABN holders and GST when applicable).
Rates for the print magazine: fiction and essays – $550; poems – $170 (plus 12% superannuation for ABN holders and GST when applicable).
Overland pays contributors upon publication. If your piece has recently appeared in print or online, you can submit your invoice via this Submittable link. Download a sample invoice here.
Overland believes that freelance contributors are an integral part of our business. As such, we are proud to become the first publishers to sign onto the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance’s Freelance Charter, which affirms the rights and protections of freelance contributors. Find out more about the campaign to support freelance writers here.
We value the political and collectivising function of open letters and their role in advocating for awareness and intervention. If you’re considering asking for Overland to host or distribute an open letter for your collective, we prefer to be contacted as early as possible in the process. While we don’t “edit” these statements as such, we may be able to advise on the wording and ensure it’s consistent with our broader editorial positions. We encourage you to reach out to our online editor Giovanni Tiso giovanni@overland.org.au to get further information on the best strategies to support your campaign.
Completed articles and poems should be submitted in the relevant category below. Fiction, from Australia and New Zealand only, and 3000 words or less, should be submitted via the category below.
Fiction submissions are currently closed for the year and will reopen again in early 2026.
What we’re after Overland is always looking for nonfiction pieces, especially for its online magazine. We update the pitch page with subjects that seem interesting – though we consider pitches on any topics. Most […]
NOTE: Overland’s current response period is up to 6 months due to the large volume of submissions received. We appreciate your patience as we carefully consider all pieces through multiple readings […]
Fiction submissions are currently closed for the year and will reopen again in early 2026. NOTE: Overland’s current response period is up to 6 months due to the large volume of […]
