Australian writers shocked and ‘disgusted’ by closure of 85-year-old literary journal Meanjin
theconversation.com – Thursday September 4, 2025
After 85 years of continuous publication, Meanjin, Australia’s second-oldest literary journal, is closing. Editor Esther Anatolitis and deputy editor Eli McLean have been made redundant and the final issue will appear in December. Melbourne University Publishing (MUP), which has housed the magazine since 2007, has cited “purely financial grounds” for the decision.
The closure has been roundly condemned by writers across Australia, including Jennifer Mills, Anna Krien, Claire G. Coleman and Sian Prior, along with former editors including Sophie Cunningham, Jonathan Green and Sally Heath.
“The loss of Meanjin is devastating news for Australian writers and readers,” Mills, a Miles Franklin shortlisted author, wrote on Bluesky. “Always meant so much to see my work there. Some of my best experiences of being edited.”
I’m an Avid Reader, Writer and Bookshop Dweller – These Are the Literary Festivals Not To Miss This Autumn
marieclaire.co.uk – Wednesday September 3, 2025
I've always loved books. As a child I spent countless nights frantically page-turning when I was supposed to be sleeping, and over the last twenty years I've built a robust collection of paperbacks from cute bookstores, friends and endless charity shops. Admittedly, I was locked in a reading slump for a few years and my TBR pile neither expanded nor shrank, but after moving to Brighton and becoming a seasoned cafe-hopper I'm well and truly in my Book Era 2.0.
Since leaving London, I've also spent more time on creative writing - something which has largely taken a back seat since becoming a journalist nine years ago. But I've been desperate for some structure and inspiration; I've joined writing groups, attended local workshops and managed to start (and abandon) The Artist's Way approximately nine times in the last six months. I'm trying.
But it wasn't until recently that I realised just how many incredible literary festivals take place in the UK during my favourite season: autumn. From author panels to inspiring practical workshops, industry insider talks to open mic nights for new voices, had I taken this into account during my book dry spell I might have read more than one book a year, or written my first novel by now. Or, finished The Artist's Way.
Acorn Publishing launches search for next breakout author with San Diego Writers Festival
timesofsandiego.com – Wednesday September 3, 2025
Could your novel or memoir be the next breakout hit? Acorn Publishing is searching nationwide for an unpublished author to take center stage at the 2026 San Diego Writers Festival, which has previously featured writers such as Anne Lamott, James Patterson, and Piper Kerman.
One exceptional unpublished author will receive a full-service publishing package valued at over $11,000, awarded completely free, according to a news release.
The winner will be announced live on stage at the festival in Coronado, which draws roughly 2,000 visitors each year. Past festivals have featured keynote speakers including Anne Lamott, James Patterson, and Piper Kerman, author of Orange Is the New Black.
New Literary Agent Listing: Amanda Harris
firstwriter.com – Tuesday September 2, 2025
I would like to represent more quality commercial fiction, and to find authors whose voices and ideas would work across series or multiple standalone titles. In non-fiction, I am looking for "the" book in the chosen subject area, the title that will become core stock in bookshops, sell on for years, and be the benchmark against which others are measured.
Women’s Prize Trust announces Hachette UK partnership to support writer development
womensprize.com – Monday September 1, 2025
We are thrilled to announce a new partnership with Hachette UK to support writer development, including a mentoring scheme for aspiring non-fiction writers and the first ever ‘Discoveries Day’.
Narrative Non-Fiction Mentoring
The narrative non-fiction mentoring programme will form part of ‘Horizons’, the free writing toolkit by the Women’s Prize Trust, designed to inspire and support new voices in the world of non-fiction writing. The mentoring programme will expand the existing resources offered by Horizons, including practical writing resources, features, prompts, free online events, and contributions from publishing industry experts and leading non-fiction writers, and compliment the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, launched in 2024 to celebrate excellent, original and accessible narrative non-fiction, supported by Findmypast.
Free to enter, the mentorship scheme seeks applications from unpublished and unagented women writing non-fiction. Entries are particularly encouraged from experts in science (such as health, psychology and technology) and culture (such as politics and current affairs).
New Literary Agent Listing: Maeve MacLysaght
firstwriter.com – Thursday August 28, 2025
Looking for strong commercial genre concepts with beautiful prose in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and graphic novels for all age ranges. She is drawn most to stories with big, campy stakes but surprising emotional cores, lovably immoral characters, queer coded villains, and people kissing while things explode.
Layoffs Hit Bloomsbury US Children’s Division
publishersweekly.com – Wednesday August 27, 2025
Bloomsbury US has eliminated five positions in its children’s division, a Bloomsbury representative has confirmed. According to multiple literary agents, who spoke with PW on condition of anonymity, the positions cut included an editor, creative director, associate publicist, designer, and an employee in the production department; in addition, at least one planned title was cut.
In a statement, the company called the cuts “part of a strategic shift toward publishing a more curated list,” adding: “Bloomsbury US is a strong and thriving business, and these changes were limited solely to the children’s division. These decisions were not taken lightly for the affected individuals and the broader organization. We are committed to supporting impacted employees and ensuring they receive the help and resources needed.”
What Nobody Tells You About Rejections By Book Editors
medium.com – Wednesday August 27, 2025
Not long after I moved from the New York area to Alabama, I went to a bookstore event where I met a local writer who recently had failed to sell his first novel. He thought he knew why no publisher had bought it.
“New York editors don’t like books about the South,” he said.
I was incredulous, and not just because I’d met a lot of those editors while covering the publishing industry as a journalist.
Editors “don’t like books about the South”? Was the writer talking about the region that had produced William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, and Alice Walker?
Our conversation was taking place two hours south of Monroeville, Alabama, where Harper Lee and Truman Capote grew up. A famous resident of our town was Winston Groom, the author of Forrest Gump, a novel the bookstore displayed steps from where we stood. About 30 minutes away, the faculty of the University of South Alabama included the novelist Jesmyn Ward, who had won a National Book Award for her Salvage the Bones and would soon earn her second, making her the only woman and only black author to win that prize twice.
To my mind, all of that didn’t prove that “New York editors don’t like books about the South.” It proved — if anything — the opposite.
An Exclusive Look Inside the Essential Literary Magazine Granta
earlybirdbooks.com – Monday August 25, 2025
Granta magazine was founded in 1889 as The Granta, a student literary journal at Cambridge University. It published works by such great authors as A.A. Milne, Michael Frayn, Stevie Smith, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath.
In 1979, the magazine switched from being a student publication to the literary quarterly that it is today. Each issue includes the best authors discussing one aspect of daily life. Ten years later, Granta Books was founded as an imprint devoted to the same ideals as the original magazine: to publish, in the words of founder Bill Buford, “only writing we care passionately about.”
Granta has remained devoted to promoting new and fresh names in literature and to only publishing the highest quality writing. For an intimate, small press, Granta has an outsized number of prize winners, including 31 Nobel Prize laureates, and a huge cultural impact on the literary scene.
What Are the Best Writing Tools?
vocal.media – Monday August 25, 2025
Looking to write smarter, faster, and better? Whether you are a student, professional writer, content creator, or blogger, the right writing tools can make all the difference.
With so many online tools for writers available, it can be overwhelming to choose the best ones. This guide highlights the top free writing software, from brainstorming ideas to writing a perfect copy.
1. Brainstorming & Idea Generation Tools
Before a single word is written, ideas must be captured and shaped. These tools help with creativity and organization.
Evernote is like a digital notebook. You can create notes, add checklists, save web pages, attach images, or even record audio reminders. Writers often use it to collect story ideas, blog inspirations, or references they stumble upon during the day.
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Best Features: Syncs across devices, allows tagging for organization, integrates with apps like Google Drive.
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Why It’s Useful: Writers don’t always sit at a desk. If you think of a story idea while commuting, you can note it down and revisit later.
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Best For: Journalists, bloggers, and students.
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