MUP chair Warren Bebbington welcomed the news that Meanjin will continue under university custodianship.

Meanjin, the long-running Australian literary magazine founded in Brisbane in 1940, is being revived and will return to its birthplace under the stewardship of Queensland University of Technology (QUT) after its relocation and shutdown in Melbourne.

QUT has acquired Meanjin and will publish the journal, preserving its 85-year legacy while complementing QUT’s creative writing program.

Meanjin’s final issue under editor Esther Anatolitis and deputy Eli McLean appeared in December, with the editorial team already made redundant as the closure decision was made.

Historically, Meanjin has been a platform for prominent Australian writers and critical discussion, and is the second-oldest Australian literary magazine after Southerly, with a name referencing central Brisbane.

The revival follows Melbourne University Press’s September 2025 decision to stop publishing Meanjin, a move that ended MUP’s long association with the magazine since 1945.

Prior funding for Meanjin came from subscriptions and support from the University of Melbourne, Creative Australia, and the Copyright Agency, underscoring ongoing financial precarity before the closure.

QUT pledges editorial independence for Meanjin, appointing a dedicated editorial board to safeguard standards and values.

The university also aims to maintain the magazine’s independence and standards while integrating it with its creative writing program.

A nationwide, competitive search will recruit a new editor for Meanjin as part of the revival.

The 2023 cessation by MUP, and the subsequent backlash from the literary community, are part of the context leading to Meanjin’s revival under QUT.

QUT Vice-Chancellor Prof. Margaret Sheil described Meanjin as a cultural icon that has shaped Australian literary culture and as a training ground for publishers and editors, expressing pride in stewarding its legacy.