Peter Carey in the 1970s.Credit: Ray Lawrence
Author Melanie Cheng posted on Instagram: “This cultural institution deserves to be preserved. Where else will we find the giants of Australian letters? Such value goes beyond money. Indeed, it is priceless. One of the wonderful things about culture is that it needn’t die when we do.”
Poet Grace Yee, also on Instagram, said an early draft of what was to become her collection of poetry, Chinese Fish – which won last year’s Victorian prize for Literature and the Premiers Literary Award – was published in Meanjin’s winter issue in 2013.
Melbourne-based poet Grace Yee, winner of the Victorian Prize for Literature 2024.Credit: Chris Hopkins
As well as income from subscriptions, the magazine receives funding from the University of Melbourne, Creative Australia and the Copyright Agency. At the beginning of 2008, Meanjin became an editorially independent imprint of Melbourne University Publishing.
An open letter to Professor Emma Johnson, the vice chancellor of the University of Melbourne, was circulated on Friday, signed by nearly 1000 writers, readers and artists, and featuring a cheeky suggestion about how to address the financial shortfall.
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“We understand the financial pressures of modern academies, and that thrift must be found somewhere,” the letter read.
“With this in mind, we approach you with a simple proposal: a small voluntary pay cut of 10 per cent of your current salary would save the university $150,000, an ample amount to keep a literature journal running and publishing. This would still leave you with the handsome pay rate of $1,350,000 per annum; and with all accommodation and other expense perks intact.”
Creative Australia provided its funding in multiple project investment rounds, most recently for two years of activity in 2025-27. In a statement, Creative Australia said it “works directly with organisations to confirm arrangements regarding the return of unspent funds where funded activity can no longer proceed”.
Wenona Byrne, the newly appointed director of recently created Writing Australia – funded by Creative Australia to the tune of $8 million annually – said the magazine had nurtured Australian writing for 85 years.
Writing Australia director Wenona Byrne.Credit: Michael Smith
“From poetry to essays to works of fiction, it has been in Meanjin that many Australian writers have found their feet and their voice,” Byrne said.
“We are saddened by the news of Meanjin’s closure and recognise its impact on the broader writing ecology. We acknowledge the literary journal’s extraordinary legacy and thank editors recent and past for their dedication to bringing exceptional writing to Australian readers.”
This masthead has not been able to find detailed information about the magazine’s finances or subscriber numbers.
A spokeswoman for the University of Melbourne said the institution was not involved in the decision and was unaware the call to close the magazine was made until after MUP had announced the decision.
Melbourne University Publishing (MUP) operates independently to the University of Melbourne, with its own board, but is a subsidiary of the university.
Neither MUP or current Meanjin editor Esther Anatolitis were available for comment.
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