i hope i’ll be forgiven the intense earnestness of this post but i like to think we’re all give-a-fuck kind of people here at overland.org.au. so before what promises to be a gorgeous weekend with loved ones and booze and food and probably safe shelter: if you’ve been thinking about haiti, and how you might […]

Wow! What a year. What an amazing event the Subscriberthon turned out to be. And now, the final announcements … The winner of the Clem Bastow Prize of a professional press release for your manuscript, exhibition, band or event, is Timothy Rawlings. The winner of the Ante Veritas Prize of a personalised short feature on […]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Lou Swinn and Zoe Dattner were put on this earth to publish the best writing they came across, for our collective reading pleasure. Sleepers Publishing is their labour of love and in the last year has published not only the Age Book of the Year but also our […]

The New International Book Shop is Melbourne’s radical bookseller, supplying progressive and explicitly left-wing literature to activists, readers and thinkers worldwide. Housed in the rather splendid Trades Hall, NIBS can help you get informed, motivated, and active in progressive politics. They’re also a great friend of the magazine and a sponsor of our Subscriberthon, donating […]

From now on, you’ll all be hearing a lot more about Meanland. It’s the slightly inevitable name for an upcoming collaboration between the venerable journals, the first event of which is to be held at the new Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas at the State Library. You are all warmly invited to attend. […]

Vignette Press has been on the indie publishing scene since 1995 producing interesting and unusual books from emerging and non-mainstream voices. They believe in ethical and environmentally sustainable publishing. They’ve also shown their support for a strong and vibrant literary culture by sponsoring the Subscriberthon. Three very lucky Overland subscribers have won a gorgeous set […]

Readings was one of the first sponsors to come on board for our Subscriberthon and it’s just one of the many ways they show their support for Australian writing and local culture. For instance, The Readings Foundation is a particularly wonderful new initiative that I’ll be keeping an eye on. And now, let’s announce some […]

Ever wondered what Zoe Dattner and Lou Swinn, co-Publishers-in Chief of Sleepers, reckon about Overland? ‘It’s just like Lenny Kravitz said: Baby it ain’t over till it’s Overland. And what he was really trying to say was that as soon as Overland arrived in his letterbox, he was gonna drop everything just to be with […]

If you subscribe today, you could win this: A complete set of A3 colour prints comprising Matthew Dunn’s illustrations of the SF series Melbourne Futures in Overland 196. No, I’m not kidding.

You might remember that Overland 196 included a colour supplement showcasing the work of the graphic artist, Matthew Dunn, to accompany a series of SF works imagining our city in the future. It was a dark and beautiful little collection, enhanced considerably by the quality of the artwork. Matthew Dunn guest blogs for us today […]

oh, by the way … you know john pilger, right? well, he reckons you should subscribe too. i quote: “Australians are wilfully denied a diverse and decent media, which makes Overland all the more crucial for the preservation of our sanity and freedom.” Thanks, John.

Well, in one short sleep the First Annual Overland Subscriberthon will draw to a close. I know, right? We can scarcely believe it ourselves. We’ve had some robust debate [not always constructive or polite but hey, you gotta break a few eggs etc.], some top quality guest posting, some dangling of prizes in front of […]

If you’ve ever been lectured by Ian Syson [in a university theatre or in a bar] about poetry, you’ll know that it is inescapably, ineluctably, indisputably political. alicia sometimes argues much the same here with her characteristic verve and whimsy and we welcome her to the Overland blog as our esteemed guest. In a week […]

Prizes today will include a selection of new release titles courtesy of Meanland, a collaboration you’ll be hearing  a lot more about over the next few months. Overland and Meanjin will join forces again to present a series of events on the theme ‘Reading in an Age of Change’. So if you won today, you’d […]

Readings have announced their Books of the Year and, in their collective wisdom, they’ve selected Killing: Misadventures in Violence as one the best non-fiction titles of 2009. WELL I NEVER DID ETC. That’s right, as well as editing Overland, Jeff somehow finds the time to dash off award-winning books, get nominated for the Melbourne Prize […]

Overland joins forces with Meanjin to launch their final issues for the year with a special event: BBQ, Beer and Bowls in Brunswick! Team captains Jeff Sparrow and Sophie Cunningham will face off in an epic battle to the death. Or depending on the teams, maybe just to the bar. But remember, only one side […]

so apparently nobody wants to see those disgusting life-size women modelling clothes on a catwalk or in the glossies. according to karl lagerfeld, the only people wringing their hands about anorexic models are “fat mummies sitting with their bags of crisps in front of the television, saying that thin models are ugly“. but apparently, everyone […]

I found this article a] illuminating, b] devastating and c] a little bit inspiring. Illuminating because it gave me a good snapshot of the body politic in the UK and the government response to the GFC. Devastating because it makes plain that, of course, the Tories will win, and of course, the Labour party will […]

ken loach movies are not normally laugh-a-minute. of course, they can be funny [usually in a dry way] but they can also be harrowing and maudlin and slightly soul-destroying.* not this one. looking for eric does feature the man-god philosopher king cantona, and is cut throughout with footage of man u in its glory days […]