Who killed Meanjin? 

In February, Meanjin’s Performance and sustainability was the focus of a study by Melbourne University Press (MUP). The publisher’s 85 -year -old magazine, which was delivered a month before the controversial underlining of the magazine, was never explained to the public. Suggestions list did not include closing Mean Jin.

Meanwhile, before the decision to close the magazine in August, the relationship between editor Esther Anatolite and MUP was caused by the anatolite’s degree to representing a lawyer Josh Bornstein. Revelation, interested stakeholders, MUP last week, although “the magazine is not for sale”, although the title continues to come to the fore with the proposals to be promoted.

Nothing in the last suggestions of MUP’s independent review Mean Jin He pointed to this result. The investigation, which was delivered in July, was carried out by Kate Larsen, a consultant for cultural and non -profit purposes. Suggestions remain confidential for now, but it is understood that any personnel are structural/organizational to ensure the sustainability of the magazine rather than personal performance.

Larsen made a statement last Thursday that he said, “Like the rest of the literary community of Australia, and it was“ shock and ruined ”to hear the closing. MUP never showed her full review. Mean Jin Many of them gave him information.

‘Political Motivations’

Readers will undoubtedly see the irony in an organization that has a shortage of cash in a cash shortage that pays an independent consultant for three months to provide strategies for financial applicability, but ignoring the findings due to financial applicability. They will also realize that the window of July -August (when the personnel are informed of the upcoming closing) does not even allow to start implementing any of the suggestions of the report.

Revelation comes in the midst of the skepticism about MUP’s official statement to make the magazine closure on the basis of “completely financial reasons”. The old personnel believe that the decision is a political component.

Mean JinFormer poetry editor Jeanine Leefe Crirase The sudden closing is “part of the wider shrinkage of broadcasting areas for meticulous social discussions and allowing differences and various sounds”. “Cancellation of artists and scholarships – not just Mean Jin – [has been] He aimed to reduce social discourse ”and allied forces against the free speech were trying to özgür organizing national conscience ..

“Mean Jin He allowed people to talk. ”

Former Mean Jin Editor assistant Eli McLean said: “Considering the history of censorship and observation of certain political speech modes on the campuses of Melbourne University, I am not surprised to conclude that many people may have political motivations. Meanjin’s Sudden closure. “

Cher Tan, an editor of the magazine’s book reviews, questioned the lack of hasty and unexpected situation planning. Contact Crirase He was ruined by the closing, suddenly confused how it happened, and was terrified because it was done without any advice.

Agreement agreement

Anatolite is subject to the confidentiality agreement and did not make any public declarations. (A simple issue of financial applicability for a small magazine is uncertain. There are two narratives that this is why.

First, the publication of a spring 2024 article “Jews, anti -Semitism and power in Australia” By Melbourne academic Max Kaiser, who criticized Australian Jewish Jewish organizations for Israel’s actions in Gaza. (Mean Jin In addition, other writers in Gaza have published before and since then.)

The narrative from university and MUP sources has fallen as the costs of the magazine increased (distribution, production, paper, etc.) and subscriptions, and the management and anatolite fell on how to handle it – or whether it really represents an important issue, Mean Jin And Mup had a shortage of cash.

Kaiser, “I think everyone who looks at the real amounts, can see that financial arguments are not collected, Ka says Kaiser Crirase.

“It’s hard to guess this Mean Jin At least he was partially killed because politically and culturally for Melbourne University. Of course, the existing editors were not afraid to publish challenging works, including works that support a free Palestine. Mean Jin In Australia, it was one of the few areas where such perspectives could be investigated freely and that someone like me could publish a long -shaped article as a cultural/political intervention. “

Excavate

Everyone understands that literary magazines exist in subsidies. Always exists. Mean JinSince 2008, the MUP has been under subsidies and subscriptions for 85 years and the cost base was really small. In 2025, there were two part -time staff; The palms of the other workers were free employees. He was not generously paid to anyone.

However, it can be understood that the owners of the magazine will seek an audit such as Larsen Report. Mean Jin During the Covid pandemi – as for many magazines – subscriptions have increased and have returned since then. McLean said that he believes that they were a trend again lately and that he felt positive about the future of the magazine. In both cases, the MUP chose to kill the broadcast, rather than dealing with low subscriptions as a reason to make efforts.

Instead of MUP Mean JinThe editor is ultimately responsible Mean JinFinance. Crirase He realizes that the editor is not responsible for budgets and distribution contracts or is not special of them.

Before the August decision Mean JinClosing, Anatolite and MUP’s relationship was caused by the degree of anatolite to represent a lawyer Josh Bornstein. If the MUP tries to get rid of it or believed it was a problem, they probably did not have enough justifications, given that she did not fight to maintain the action. Instead, he sacrificed the whole magazine.

‘Not daily for sale’

It was given to me by two knowledgeable sources that the university administration decided to withdraw. Mean JinAnd that’s why the magazine is financially uninhabitable. Melbourne University, the richest university in Australia, has earned only $ 220,000 a year, which is some of a single manager’s gains.

But when Crirase MUP President Warren Bebbington and the University Administration put this, both of them clearly rejected.

Bebebington promised the original statement that denied that there was any participation in the university’s decision to quit: “This was just a decision of the MUP Board and who said that our decision was following the decision of a university. Mean Jin‘Sin financing was completely misinformed: not. ”

Bebbington added: “If you want to improve your own picture Mean Jin Most of the comments about Georgie Kibble’s (sic) today’s story Australia [link]Head Letter to today’s Editor Age Mark Rubbo, President of the Readings [link]Or Guy Rundle’s blog Mean Jin Last Friday [link] can help. ”

Each piece of writing represents a depressing and pessimistic vision of Australian literary culture, absolutely strange choices for the President of the MUP. (Among the comments below Australia piece: “Mean Jin Later, he was curled and then walked to the left to the left that made him less interesting and relevant ”and“Mean Jin Not lost. For a long time, any writer has been tolerant and stupid as a festival. Why did it take so long to bring useful execution of Soporifik Umelb? “)

A university spokesman reiterated previous statements: “ Mean Jin At the end of 2025, Melbourne University Publishing (MUP) was held independently by the Limited Board. In August, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of MUP informed Melbourne University Finance Committee in August. The Finance Committee said the decision to stop the publication of the MUP Board. Mean Jin And therefore contribute Mean Jin He would stop at 2026. “

UNFOSSED OPTIONS

Pressure can be taken in many and various ways and Crirase He accepts these statements, there are other reasons to believe Mean JinThe closing had a political component.

MUP made little effort to save the magazine Before closing. In addition to not applying any suggestions of Larsen review, the MUP has not called for public support, nor did it apply to subscribers or a wider public or did not expect possible grants. New Writing Australian Literature BodyIt was founded in July. He did not approach the philanthropists (some reportedly expressed interest in saving). He didn’t call a new house Mean Jin. The 85 -year -old institution folded.

MUP is based on copyright for the magazine and promises to open the archives to everyone and promise various (probably including AI boots). “The magazine is not for sale”, MUP’s General Manager and publisher Foong Ling Kong said Guardian Thursday. This stance of official protecting the legacy without allowing anyone to exploit or continues, Meanjin’s supporters and the problem threatens to play for months: it still has two editions Mean Jin To get out. The last planned edition will be the 85th anniversary pressure in December.

Crirase Considering that there are a few philanthropists who are interested in saving it to Art Minister Tony Burke, what steps should be taken to save? Mean JinAnd whether the government looks at the closure as a matter of urgency, or whether it offers to take steps to help. He didn’t answer his office.

Despite lack of clarity and rival versions about the criminals and criminals, some things in this ugly section cannot be rejected: another respectable cultural institution was terminated by a corporate governance that gave little value to literary expression and refused to fight for the protection of university behind it.

Max Kaiser says, “The loss is not just a literary coup,” he says. “It points to a creepy message to people who dare to support the narrowing of public debates and unfortunately supporting the publication of inappropriate facts. Mean JinBut I think we should all be very uncomfortable. “

Regardless of MUP’s own stance or financial restrictions, the university also refused to take steps to save Australia’s second oldest literary magazine. This means for the literary community, not only from a valuable independent output for authors, but also for the loss of financial support for authors and editors. MUP’s decision led to a loss of $ 220,000 from the university, led to other financial support for Creative Australia and Copyright Agency and the magazine.

Shallow pond is almost dry.