Our Purpose
Meridian Australis is Australia’s premier speculative fiction collective.
We work with budding writers to hone their craft and develop their voice. We bring creatives together to build exciting projects. We operate writing groups across Melbourne where we offer feedback, critiques and great company to aspiring short fiction writers.
Meridian Australis is committed to fostering inclusivity, creativity, and innovation within speculative fiction. It strives to amplify the voices of underrepresented creators, championing diverse perspectives that push the boundaries of storytelling. Meridian Australis exists to give Victorian writers and creatives the space, support, and inspiration to dream, create, and thrive.
How we got here
Founded in 2023, Meridian Australis grew from posters in the northern suburbs and a Brunswick crack den to one of Melbourne’s leading creative collectives, championing the city’s burgeoning speculative fiction scene. With a mission to nurture the next generation of speculative storytellers, Meridian Australis fosters a vibrant community for writers and creators to connect, collaborate, and achieve their shared goals.
Meridian Australis is a network of critique groups spread across Melbourne, offering tailored support to writers at every stage of their creative journeys. We provide a rich array of opportunities for Victorian creatives, including:
- CRUX, an annual open-submission collection of work from Australian authors and illustrators, paying market rates
- AUSTRAL, an annual anthology from Meridian Australis members, celebrating diversity and originality within the genre.
- Roundtable, a podcast amplifying the voices of emerging writers and bringing their stories to new audiences.
- Digital zines, released regularly to highlight fresh, experimental, and diverse speculative narratives.
These projects not only provide platforms for Victorian creators but also connect local voices to national and international audiences, enriching Melbourne’s cultural landscape.
Meridian Australis operates primarily on unceded, sovereign Wurundjeri land, and we pay our respects to the storytelling traditions of the First Nations people of this Country, past and present.