A literary and current affairs journal that offers fresh takes on big ideas.

Griffith Review is a quarterly literary and current affairs journal that offers fresh perspectives on significant ideas. Each edition is loosely themed and features essays, short fiction, conversations, poetry, and visual art by both emerging and established creatives from Australia and overseas. Established in 2003 by Griffith University, the journal aims to enrich public discussion by providing a platform for well-written, informed, and insightful writing. It publishes four print editions annually, alongside a suite of regular online content. (griffithreview.com)

The journal was founded by Julianne Schultz AM FAHA, who served as its editor until 2018. In 2018, Ashley Hay succeeded Schultz as the editor, while Schultz transitioned to the role of publisher. (ashleyhay.com.au) The current masthead includes:

- **Publisher**: Professor Scott Harrison

- **Editor**: Dr. Carody Culver

- **Managing Editor**: John Tague

- **Assistant Editor**: James Jiang

- **General Manager**: Katie Woods

- **Marketing and Events Coordinator**: Emma Reason

- **Business Support Coordinator**: Cieon Hilton

The Editorial Advisory Group comprises:

- Jumaana Abdu

- Sam Elkin

- Amber Gwynne

- Michael Ondaatje

- Yves Rees

- David Ritter

- Beau Windon

Griffith Review has been recognized with several awards, including the 2007 Victorian Premier's Literary Award - Alfred Deakin Prize for an Essay Advancing Public Debate awarded to Frank Moorhouse, and the 2013 Walkley Award for Excellence in Journalism for Kathy Marks' reportage piece "Channelling Mannalargenna." (en.wikipedia.org)

The journal's mission is to provide a platform for both established and emerging writers and thinkers to publish well-written, informed, and insightful writing, thereby enriching public discussion. (griffithreview.com)

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Griffith Review

Griffith Review 91: On the Money
Money talks – but it doesn’t always speak the truth. It’s also far more than a medium of exchange and a store of value: money is a status symbol, a friendship destroyer, an opportunity creator, a psychological blocker, an obsession, a dream, a curse, an albatross and an elephant in the room. And if money makes the world go round, it’s spinning us faster than ever these days. Do we stand any chance of bridging the wealth gap? How does money influence our behaviour? What part does it play in the erosion of democracy and institutional trust? Should financial literacy be taught in schools? And does anyone actually understand crypto? 
This edition of Griffith Review follows the money to tally the past, present and future of our filthy lucre. 
 
Things for you to note: 
* You can submit up to four individual poems, each no longer than two pages.
* While poems don't need to be themed, we welcome submissions that respond to the theme.
* We'll let you know the outcome of your submission within eight weeks of the call-out closing date.
 
Submissions open: 09:00 am AEST, 8 September 2025
Submissions close: 11:59 pm AEST, 28 September 2025   
Publication date: February 2026

Griffith Review 91: On the Money – Poetry Call-out

Griffith Review 90 : Best Dressed

There’s no escaping the onslaught of content these days. But it seems increasingly tricky to determine what’s good and what’s not as we stream, tap and swipe our way through our endless entertainment 

Griffith Review 92: Lost and Found
‘Loss,’ wrote Marcus Aurelius, ‘is nothing else but change’. We lose face, lose time, lose heart, lose touch, lose ground, lose our keys (often); we can lose the things that hold us back or weigh us down, just as we can lose the people and places we love most. Loss, whether it offers us pain or reward, is fundamental to the experience of being human. What might we lose or gain as technology continues its rapid advance? How do we halt the loss of our natural world? What’s lost by growing up between cultures? Are we losing our sense of a shared reality? And what are the benefits to being a loser?
Lose yourself in this edition of Griffith Review as we go in search of answers.
Submissions are open from Monday 20 October to Sunday 30 November.
Things for you to note:
* We're looking for non-fiction and fiction that responds to the theme.
* We want pieces that are no longer than 4,000 words (they can, of course, be much shorter than this).
* Attention poets! We'll be opening a separate poetry call-out on 15 December – keep an eye on our social media and newsletter for more details soon.
* We'll let you know the outcome of your submission within eight weeks of the call-out closing date.
Full submissions only – no pitches, please.
Submissions close: 11:59 pm AEST, 30 November 2025
Publication date: May 2026

Griffith Review 92: Lost and Found – Poetry Call-out

The archive has long been a form of collection, preservation and communication. As the internet and social media reshape what, why and how we record information, whether for personal or institutional means, the nature of the archive itself is also in flux. How does the archive mediate the relationship between public and private space? How do archives shape individual and collective memory? Should the archivist preserve without intervention? What will the archives of the future look like? And in what ways do other mediums – bodies, places, cultures – act as their own kinds of archive? 

Into the Archive

Out of Office

Emerging Voices 2026
Call-out
 
Griffith Review Emerging Voices Competition 2026
Griffith Review is looking for original submissions of fiction and creative non-fiction from 3,500 – 5,000 words.
You can write to any theme you like – but we're looking for new ideas, fresh voices and bold perspectives - work that commands our attention.
Up to four winning entries will be selected by our judges Melanie Ostell (Melanie Ostell Literary)¸ Margot Lloyd (Pink Shorts Press) and Sharlene Allsopp (author) as well as Griffith Review’s editorial staff. The winners will share a prize pool of $20,000 and have their work published in an edition of Griffith Review.
Entries close at 11.59pm AEST on Monday 13 April 2026. Winners will be announced in July 2026.
 
For the purposes of this competition, we’re defining ‘emerging’ as writers ranging from previously unpublished through to those with a maximum of one published book in any of the following genres:

  Novel
  Short story collection
  Essay collection
  Memoir
  Other work of non-fiction

You can have published more than one children's book or poetry collection, or have multiple essays, reviews, or short fiction publications in magazines, literary journals, or other collections/anthologies.
Answers to some frequently asked questions can be found here.
Entries must be submitted through Submittable https://griffithreview.submittable.com/submit and payment made through GriffithPAY.
 
Entry fees:
$25 (including GST)
$15 (including GST) for Griffith Review subscribers. 
The entry fee entitles you to a complimentary digital subscription to Griffith Review valid for six months. If you already have a subscription, we will extend your existing subscription by six months.
No refund for this competition. Refer to the Terms & Conditions: https://www.griffithreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/EMERGING-VOICES-2026-TCs.pdf 
Before you submit...
Please make sure that you've completed the following steps before you submit your entry:

  Please name your submission document file with your surname first, then the genre. For example: filename: surname_fiction.doc. Do not include your name or any identifying information in the document itself.
  Make sure your submission is an editable Word document with 12pt Times New Roman font, 1.5 line spacing and all document margins set to 2.54 cm.
  Please submit only one entry.
  Please pay your entry fee via GriffithPay and keep a note of the receipt number.    

Summary of Terms and Conditions of Entry

  Entries close 11.59pm AEST on Monday 13 April 2026. Early submissions are encouraged. Late submissions will not be accepted.
  Submissions are limited to Australian and New Zealand citizens and permanent residents.
  Original works of fiction and creative non-fiction only. Work between 3,500 and 5,000 words is  preferable; if a piece is slightly over or under the work limit (no more than 10%), we can still  accept the submission.
  Works must not have been published elsewhere in any format.
  Emerging writers are defined for the purposes of this competition as writers ranging from  previously unpublished through to those with a maximum of one published book (fiction or non-fiction). Note: self-published books that have sold over 500 copies will be considered published  works.
  Only one entry per author.
  All entries must be submitted electronically via the Submittable page. Emailed or posted entries  will not be accepted.
  Entry fee for the competition is $25 (including GST) or $15 (including GST) for Griffith Review  subscribers. Entry fees must be paid via GriffithPay. Entries that are submitted without corresponding payment will not be accepted. Griffith Review subscriptions can be purchased here. The entry fee entitles you to a complimentary digital subscription, valid for six months. Existing subscribers will have their subscriptions extended by six months.
  All potential entrants are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the type of work published by Griffith Review before submitting.
  It is anticipated that four works will be selected for publication, but the judges reserve the right to vary the number selected.
  Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges and the Griffith Review editorial team in a blind reading. The decision will be final and there will be no correspondence with unsuccessful candidates about the merits of the work submitted.
  The winning works will undergo a professional editorial process prior to publication.
  Winners will share the $20,000 prize pool. The amount awarded to each author will be at the discretion of Griffith Review. All entrants will be notified of the outcomes by 31 July 2026.
  Winning works will be published in an edition of Griffith Review between 1 November 2026 and 5 August 2027 (Griffith Review editions 94, 95 and 96).

Submissions are limited to Australian and New Zealand citizens and permanent residents.

Griffith Review Emerging Voices Competition 2026

Griffith Review 93: Into the Archive
The archive has long been a form of collection, preservation and communication. As the internet and social media reshape what, why and how we record information, whether for personal or institutional means, the nature of the archive itself is also in flux. How does the archive mediate the relationship between public and private space? How do archives shape individual and collective memory? Should the archivist preserve without intervention? What will the archives of the future look like? And in what ways do other mediums – bodies, places, cultures – act as their own kinds of archive?
This edition of Griffith Review goes on the record to reveal the secrets and surprises of the archive.
Things for you to note:
* You can submit up to four individual poems, each no longer than two pages.
* While poems don't need to be themed, we welcome submissions that respond to the theme.
* We'll let you know the outcome of your submission within eight weeks of the call-out closing date.
Submissions open: 09:00 am AEST, 23 March 2026
Submissions close: 11:59 pm AEST, 5 April 2026
Publication date: August 2026

Into the Archive – Poetry Call-out

Griffith Review 94: Out of Office
Most of us will spend a dispiriting 90,000 hours of our lives at work. That’s a third of the average lifespan; no wonder so many of us want to stick it to the man. Love it or hate it, how we spend our working hours – whether for ourselves, for our families or for a faceless corporation – can have a profound influence on our self-worth, our social circles, and our sense of purpose and identity. But where did work come from? What rights should our employers have to circumscribe our speech? What’s the role of unions in the twenty-first century? Why don’t we have a universal basic income? How do we separate our jobs from our selves? And whatever happened to the four-hour work week?
This edition of Griffith Review clocks in for another day at the coalface.
Things for you to note:
* You can submit up to four individual poems, each no longer than two pages.
* While poems don't need to be themed, we welcome submissions that respond to the theme.
* We'll let you know the outcome of your submission within eight weeks of the call-out closing date.
Submissions open: 09:00 am AEST, 22 June 2026
Submissions close: 11:59 pm AEST, 12 July 2026
Publication date: November 2026

Out of Office – Poetry

Griffith Review 95: Bodies of Work
Modern life can be a curiously disembodied experience: we swipe and scroll, crop and click, zoom and control+z; our interactions are often mediated by screens or filters; we no longer look one another in the eye as we once did (or we’re forced to do it on Teams). Areour flesh-and-blood selves becoming attenuated and atomised by the increasingly digital texture of our days? What’s the fate of the human body in age of looksmaxxing and biohacking? How do our historic perceptions and misconceptions of bodily states and identities, including disability and gender, inform our present and shape our future?
Check in with your body for this edition of Griffith Review.
Submissions are open from Monday 13 July to Sunday 23 August.
Things for you to note:
* We're looking for non-fiction and fiction that responds to the theme.
* We want pieces that are no longer than 4,000 words (they can, of course, be much shorter than this).
* Attention poets! We'll be opening a separate poetry call-out on 7 September – keep an eye on our social media and newsletter for more details soon.
* We'll let you know the outcome of your submission within eight weeks of the call-out closing date.
Full submissions only – no pitches, please.
Submissions close: 11:59 pm AEST, Sunday 23 August 2026.
Publication date: February 2027

Bodies of Work - Fiction

Bodies of Work - Nonfiction

It’s pitch time!
Griffith Review is on the lookout for fresh online content, and we want to hear from you.
We’re currently accepting non-fiction pitches for GR Online, our online publishing platform. This is where we showcase short (1,000–1,500 words) pieces of commentary and critique that engage with contemporary culture, literature, politics and more (check out the GR Online homepage to get an idea of what we’ve published recently).
We want new perspectives, original thinking and a healthy dose of stylistic flair. If this sounds like you, here’s what to send us by the call-out closing date:
·  a short (no more than 100 words) biographical statement
·  up to three short pitches (no more than 150 words each) for potential pieces
·  a short (no more than 500 words) writing sample that shows us what wordsmith wizardry you can bring to GR Online.
We’d particularly welcome pitches from First Nations writers. We’d also welcome pitches from members of the d/Deaf and disabled writing communities. (Please let us know if you have accessibility requirements or need us to make adjustments to the submission process.)
We pay $500 per article. We’ll notify our successful writers by 31 August 2026.
Submissions close: 11.59PM AEST, Sunday 2 August.

GR Online: Contributor Pitches

Griffith Review 94: Out of Office
Modern life can be a curiously disembodied experience: we swipe and scroll, crop and click, zoom and control+z; our interactions are often mediated by screens or filters; we no longer look one another in the eye as we once did (or we’re forced to do it on Teams). Areour flesh-and-blood selves becoming attenuated and atomised by the increasingly digital texture of our days? What’s the fate of the human body in age of looksmaxxing and biohacking? How do our historic perceptions and misconceptions of bodily states and identities, including disability and gender, inform our present and shape our future?
Check in with your body for this edition of Griffith Review.
Things for you to note:
* You can submit up to four individual poems, each no longer than two pages.
* While poems don't need to be themed, we welcome submissions that respond to the theme.
* We'll let you know the outcome of your submission within eight weeks of the call-out closing date.
Submissions open: 09:00 am AEST, 7 September 2026
Submissions close: 11:59 pm AEST, 20 September 2026
Publication date: February 2027

Bodies of Work – Poetry Call-out

Griffith Review 96: Under the Influence
When was the last time someone truly influenced you – and how? In Oscar Wilde’s iconic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton declares that there’s no such thing as a good influence, since anyone so susceptible to another person’s thoughts and passions surely can’t have strong enough convictions of their own. But how easy is it – particularly in the midst of Stage 4 late capitalism – to discern our own tastes and desires from effective marketing or algorithmic trickery? How do we distinguish pernicious control from positive guidance? And how do we measure influence in the third wave of the information age?
Win friends and influence people* with this edition of Griffith Review.
*not guaranteed
Pitching for non-fiction pieces is open from Monday 12 October to Sunday 25 October.
Things for you to note:
* We're looking for non-fiction pitches (essay, memoir, reportage) that respond to the theme.
* Pitches should be for pieces of no longer than 4,000 words. We pay 75 cents per word up to a maximum of $3,000 for the maximum length of 4,000 words.
* If we'd like to commission your pitch, we'll notify you in mid-November and will ask you to submit your full draft by 11 January.
* Attention fiction writers and poets! We'll be opening a separate call-out for full fiction and poetry submissions on 7 December – keep an eye on our social media and newsletter for more details soon.
Submissions close: 11:59 pm AEST, Sunday 25 October 2026.
Publication date: May 2027

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