Publication of Australia’s second oldest literary magazine, Meanjin, will cease at the end of 2025, in a controversial decision by Melbourne University Publishing (MUP) announced on Thursday 4 September. 

From Meanjin employees to the University of Melbourne staff, this announcement has been met with grave disappointment from the Australian literary community. 

Meanjin’s two outgoing staff members, editor Esther Anatolitis and deputy editor Eli McLean, were made redundant on 4 September and allegedly made to sign non-disclosure agreements. 

“I can’t help but feel there were political reasons for this decision,” writes McLean in Overland. 

“[E]ntrusting a literary journal–especially one such as Meanjin with a long-standing record of political integrity and radicalism– to custodianship of an institution like the University of Melbourne was bound not to last.”

While MUP chair Warren Bebbington insists the decision was made on “purely financial grounds”, Crikey has reported that MUP faced ongoing scrutiny from the University of Melbourne Council board.

A protest to oppose Meanjin’s closure was held outside MUP’s offices on Swanston Street on 11 September with support from the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and Media, Entertainment, and Arts Alliance (MEAA).

Speakers called on MUP to transfer ownership of the publication to allow it to continue publishing independently, or with sponsorship from another institution.

Author Alan Fyfe has penned an open letter of protest, addressed to University Vice-Chancellor Emma Johnston, which emphasises the growing need for the protection of publications supporting upcoming and veteran writers. This letter suggests the Vice Chancellor voluntarily commit 10 per cent of her annual salary to keep Meanjin publishing. 

The Creative Writing, Literature and Theatre Studies, and Publishing and Editing programs of the University of Melbourne have all expressed their disapproval toward the MUP’s decision. 

“[Meanjin] has uplifted many of our students through publication, internships, partnerships and employment,” states the Publishing and Communications program.

The impact Meanjin had on aspiring writers cannot be overlooked. The journal famously catapulted the careers of Australian writers, platforming local work onto the international stage.  

“Meanjin has supported, elevated and launched the careers of a staggering number of writers, including many of our own staff and students; it’s also an important resource for all teachers and students of Australian literature,” says the University of Melbourne’s Creative Writing program. 

Meanjin was first established in 1940 by Clem Christesen in Brisbane, before relocating to the University of Melbourne in 1945. Oversight of the publication was transferred to Melbourne University Publishing in 2008. The literary journal has supported and published Australian writers for 85 years. 

Christesen named the journal after Magandjin (Brisbane), where it was originally founded. “Meanjin” is the Traditional Yuggera language name for the city’s centre.

According to Christesen, this name was chosen to recognise Indigenous Australian cultures by highlighting “the spirit of place”.

Meanjin has made a long commitment to up-and-coming First Nations writers in its time. The “Meanjin Paper” was the first lead essay of each Meanjin edition. As of Winter 2023, this essay permanently became one written by a First Nations Elder who welcomed readers with a story of place. 

Moreover, Meanjin partnered with many First Nations organisations, including black&write. This national partnership has supported First Nations writers and editors by offering career guidance and publishing opportunities. 

“Without the support of such a significant literary and cultural journal, many [Blak writers and artists] would not have been able to publish as emerging writers and may not have gone on to have a publishing life at all,” says Professor Tony Birch, the Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature.

Throughout its lifetime, Meanjin has become a staple of Australian literary culture. The legacy journal leaves behind writers and editors who now no longer have a rich source of creative indulgence and industry expertise. 

The final edition of Meanjin will be released in December.