Overview

• Melbourne University Publishing resolved last week to discontinue Meanjin, with the 85-year-old literary journal planning a final issue in December 2025 and the roles of editor Esther Anatolitis and production editor Eli McLean made redundant.
• MUP says the decision was made on purely financial grounds, while 2023–24 records cited in reporting show university support of about $220,000 and subscription revenue of $112,790.
• Critics highlight limited disclosure of detailed costs, note an MUP FAQ posted over the weekend that left key questions unanswered, and point to the chair declining to confirm whether an NDA was part of Anatolitis’ redundancy.
• The University of Melbourne says its council learned of the move after MUP had decided, as authors, unions and readers organise opposition and urge options to keep the journal alive.
• Commentary situates the closure in a wider funding squeeze for the arts, with Creative Australia data showing low creative incomes and figures such as Peter Carey and former editor Jonathan Green questioning the rationale.