''Southerly'' is an Australian literary magazine, established in the 1930s.Australian government culture and recreation portal
Southerly home page
It is published in hardcopy and online three times a year, and carries fiction and poetry by established and new authors as well as reviews and critical essays

is an online supplement, carrying additional material.

History and profile

''Southerly'' began in 1939 as a four-page bulletin of the Sydney branch of the London-based English Association, an organisation dedicated to preserving the purity of the English language. R. G. Howarth, lecturer in English at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

, was the founding editor and continued as editor until he left Sydney in 1955. He published European and Australian literature together and wished to encourage 'cultural good relations between the mother and daughter countries'. The focus was on literature itself; the magazine was apolitical and non-ideological.Southerly index page

Kenneth Slessor Kenneth Adolphe Slessor (27 March 190130 June 1971) was an Australian poet, journalist and official war correspondent in World War II. He was one of Australia's leading poets, notable particularly for the absorption of modernist influences int ...

was editor from 1956 to 1961, and added the subtitle 'a review of Australian literature' and the academic discussion of local literature continued to develop as a focus. G.A. Wilkes was editor from 1962 to 1986, and

Elizabeth Webby Elizabeth Anne Webby (1942– ) is a literary critic, editor and scholar in the field of literature. Emeritus Professor Webby retired from the Chair of Australian Literature at the University of Sydney in 2007. She edited ''The Cambridge Compan ...

from 1987. It is currently edited by David Brooks and Elizabeth McMahon. A connection to the University of Sydney has been maintained over the years. The magazine is assisted by the Australia Council, the Australian Government’s arts advisory and support organisation, the New South Wales Ministry for the Arts and the School of English, Art, History, Film and Media, University of Sydney. The title refers to a front of cold air coming from the south, bringing a quick cooling, and tempestuous conditions, after the heat of the day, referred to in Sydney as " Southerly busters".

Current staff

(updated June 2019) *Editor — Elizabeth McMahon *Poetry editor —

Kate Lilley Kate Lilley (born 1960) is a contemporary Australian poet and academic. Early life Kate Lilley was born in Perth, Western Australia in 1960 and moved to Sydney with her family. She is the daughter of writers Dorothy Hewett and Merv Lilley, an ...

*Fiction editor —

Debra Adelaide Debra Adelaide (born 1958) is an Australian novelist, writer and academic. She teaches creative writing at the University of Technology Sydney. Biography Adelaide was born in Sydney and grew up in the Sutherland Shire. A contemporary of writers ...

*Nonfiction editor — Fiona Morrison *Reviews editor — Oliver Wakelin *Poetry reader — Holly Friedlander Liddicoat *Fiction reader and administrator — Jack Cameron Stanton

Notes

References

*Carter, David, 'Magazine Culture: Notes Towards a History of Australian Periodical Publication 1920-1970', in Bartlett, Dixon & Lee (eds) 1999, Australian Literature and the Public Sphere, ASAL, Toowoomba, pp. 69–79. *Green, H M 1962, A History of Australian Literature, Vol I 1789-1923, Angus & Robertson, Sydney. *Greenop, Frank 1947, History of Magazine Publishing in Australia, K.G. Murray Publishing Company, Sydney. *Tregenza, John 1964, Australian Little Magazines 1923-1954: Their Role in Forming and Reflecting Literary Trends, Libraries Board of South Australia, Adelaide.

External links

Official website
{{University of Sydney 1939 establishments in Australia Literary magazines published in Australia Magazines established in 1939 Magazines published in Sydney Triannual magazines University of Sydney