The Big Issue is back with its 20th annual Fiction Edition, on sale across Australia from Friday 16 August.
The milestone issue includes new short fiction from 13 writers, who were selected from an incredible entry pool of 808 submissions around the country.
Since it was first launched in 2004, the Fiction Edition has become the biggest-selling fiction magazine in Australia. The short story competition is a rare opportunity for new and emerging writers to see their work published in a national print magazine. There is no entry fee to the competition and each published author receives a prize of $500.
The Big Issue editor Amy Hetherington says that the beloved bumper issue isn’t only a highlight for readers and vendors, but an increasingly valuable showcase of local talent.
“To make it to the 20th year of the Fiction Edition shows how important it is to have an accessible platform in Australia for anyone with a story to tell,” she says.
“Aside from being a best-selling edition for our vendors, the Fiction Edition is an extraordinary opportunity for emerging writers to share their work on a national scale. The Edition is full of fantastic stories, and I congratulate all our successful writers!”
The Fiction Edition – which boasts 16 more pages than usual editions – was made possible by the generous support of the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. Submissions were anonymously judged by Melissa Fulton, Daniel James and Claire Cao, as well as The Big Issue editorial team. Original illustrations are by Adelaide-based artist Alice Lindstrom. Read about this year’s contributors below.
The Fiction Edition has provided a launchpad for writers who’ve gone on to have prolific literary careers. Crime writer Jane Harper was inspired to write her international bestseller The Dry after her short story ‘Spiders and Flies’ was published in the 2014 Fiction Edition. Melissa Manning’s 2018 story ‘Stone’ formed part of her Smokehouse collection, which won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Fiction in 2022. Other writers discovered through the submissions process have gone on to win the Miles Franklin and Vogel Literary Awards.
Copies are available for $9 from The Big Issue vendors around the country. Vendors are equipped for cash, card and app payments. Readers who aren’t close to a vendor can purchase the magazine through our online store or subscribe and support our Women’s Workforce.
ENDS
The Big Issue spokespersons, authors and judges are available for media. For more information and to confirm media opportunities, contact:
Maree Agapitos | Media and Communications Lead
magapitos@bigissue.org.au | (03) 9663 4533 | 0418 124 190
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