Over the past 20 years, Griffith Review has become established as one of Australia’s leading literary journals.
For its 20th anniversary and 82nd edition, Animal Magic, Griffith Review has focused on our relationship with animals – a bond that has been with humanity from time immemorial and one that will continue for as long as we are all here to sustain it.
Connections to animals come in different forms, and this edition explores many of them.
Perhaps the most obvious are the bonds we make with our pets – dogs, cats and horses certainly make their presence known here – but there are also stories about prehistoric beings and toy animals. Fungi, which can be said to exist in a liminal space between spore, vegetable and animal, make an appearance too, and we traverse the seas and skies to converse with lobsters and birds.
This edition exemplifies what Griffith Review does so well – combining memoir, researched non-fiction, fiction, conversation and poetry in one cohesive publication.
Each writer’s distinctive voice is allowed to shine and each piece is engaging, informative and provides a fresh perspective on a theme that, in different hands, could feel overdone.
This is due in large part to the expertise and sharp eye of Griffith Review’s current editor, Carody Culver. In reflecting on the publication’s 20-year history, Culver is proud of its legacy, stating:
“Griffith Review has been an integral part of Australia’s literary sector since its inception in 2003. While the media landscape has shifted dramatically since then, Griffith Review has remained committed to featuring the best new writing and ideas by established and emerging voices — more than 200 of the pieces we’ve published have subsequently been developed into full-length books.
“One of the joys of editing a themed quarterly is being able to explore a particular subject from myriad perspectives, bringing out the complexities and connections that can otherwise be lost in the churn of the 24-hour news cycle.
“I want our stories to captivate readers long after they’ve turned the last page. I want our editions to resonate five, 10, 20 years after publication, to still be sparking ideas and conversations and maybe even changing minds.”
In this vein, it cannot be overlooked that Griffith Review’s inaugural edition chronicled anxieties about insecurities in the new world order.
John Birmingham’s piece on fear in the Australian psyche would not feel out of place among rising anxieties over China’s influence in the world, and Eva Sallis’ (now Eva Hornung) moving account of life in Australia for people of Middle Eastern background is especially prescient considering Israel’s escalating war against Palestinians in Gaza.
These stories are, sadly, as pertinent today as they were in 2003, but also offer a chance for reflection and perhaps a chance to reconsider the way we engage with others, both domestically and internationally.
On a brighter note, Animal Magic, alongside the 81 other editions of Griffith Review, has certainly fulfilled Culver’s vision for the publication.

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Given its breadth and depth, and the strength of our connection with the beings with whom we share this planet, there is little doubt that the stories in this edition will resonate with readers far into the future.
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