Published in Overland Issue 211 Winter 2013 · Uncategorized Editorial Jeff Sparrow Why a literary journal? More specifically, why a print journal? The question arises because Overland has now become more a project than a particular format. Overland publishes online, with new content appearing most days. It hosts events and forums throughout the country, at literary festivals and elsewhere. It has produced the ebook, Women’s Work, and will soon launch an iPad app. The online fiction by emerging writers is part of Overland, as are the spoken word editions and the forthcoming edition of electronic poetry. In the midst of all that, what role does a print journal play? Overland will continue to publish in print for the foreseeable future for a number of reasons. Print remains the preferred format for most poets and creative writers in Australia. That may, of course, change but for the time being most authors want a physical copy of their work. Similarly, many people still like to read (in particular) long essays, literary fiction and poetry on paper, away from the distractions of their iPad. Finally, the rhythms of quarterly print production allow a more intensive editorial interaction with writers, as the quality of the pieces in this edition reveal. Overland is about ideas and so will continue to explore new methods for reaching readers. We encourage print readers to engage with the online magazine as well, taking advantages of the opportunities it offers for discussion and debate. But the Overland project still depends fundamentally on its print subscribers. We are confident that the expansion of Overland’s reach will improve rather than diminish the quarterly journal that has appeared since 1954. Jeff Sparrow Jeff Sparrow is a writer, editor, broadcaster and Walkley award-winning journalist. He is a former columnist for Guardian Australia, a former Breakfaster at radio station 3RRR, and a past editor of Overland. His most recent book is a collaboration with Sam Wallman called Twelve Rules for Strife (Scribe). He works at the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne. More by Jeff Sparrow › 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. Related articles & Essays 18 December 202418 December 2024 · Nakata Brophy Prize Dawning in the rivulet of my father’s mourning Yasmin Smith My father floats words down Toonooba each morning. They arrive to me by noon. / Nothing diminishes in his unfolding, not even the currents in midwinter June. / He narrates the sky prehistorically like a cadence cutting him into deluge. 16 December 202416 December 2024 · Palestine Learning to see in the dark Alison Martin Images can represent a splice of reality from the other side of the world, mirror truths about ourselves and our collective humanity we can hardly bear to face. But we can also use them to recognise the patterns of dehumanisation that have manifested throughout history, and prevent their awful conclusions in the present. To rewrite in real time our most shameful histories before they are re-made on the world stage and in our social media feeds.
