Issue 2 Call for Submissions
Open for pitches until May 29
Exhume is a new online publication championing scholarly-informed, accessible long-form criticism and analysis of Australian literature written by new and emerging researchers.
We publish contributions of 3,000-4,000 words by current HDR students and ECRs from across Australia and are especially interested in highlighting regional perspectives.
We are currently seeking essay pitches of approximately 250 words for our second issue.
The theme of Issue 2 is resonance. We encourage contributions to consider how Australian texts or authors resonate on a personal, public, and/or academic level.
Contributions might, for example, explore:
Historical resonances: How have specific texts or authors been received and reinterpreted through history?
National and transnational resonances: How does Australian literature resonate locally and abroad?
Australian nationalism and literary resonance
Literary movements/groups and their legacies
The resonances of literary criticism beyond academia
The deep emotional, intellectual, or personal connections an individual or group has with an author or text
This list is non-exhaustive and we welcome pitches that broadly and uniquely interpret the overarching theme.
Contributions are expected to offer rich, in-depth analysis of specific authors, texts, genres, or themes relevant to Australian literature and literary cultures. Contributors are encouraged to structure their pieces as academically informed and rigorously researched, but written for a broad and general audience. We direct interested contributors to engage with the pieces published in Issue 1, noting where the essays consider the broad context of the AustLit landscape, contextualise authors or texts within the catalogues of both their own work and that of their peers, and thoughtfully introduce useful academic frameworks to support their analysis and criticism.
We welcome contributions that relate to current research projects, but all pieces must be previously unpublished and open to development through our workshopping process.
If your pitch is accepted
If your pitch is accepted, we invite you to take part in two workshopping sessions that offer peer review in a supportive environment. This practice means you will receive feedback from the editorial team and another contributor during the drafting process to ensure your work reaches its critical potential. It will also provide you with the opportunity to read the work of others and provide your own feedback during this drafting process. It is important to us to be able to foster a supportive writing and editorial environment for everyone involved and to further build a connected community of HDRs and ECRs in AustLit scholarship.
We value your time and work – contributors will be paid $300 for their final published piece.
Submission guidelines:
Submit via email to exhume.lit@gmail.com with the subject title “Essay Pitch - [Your Name]”
Please provide a concise (approx 250 words) description of your proposed article
A brief author bio and affiliation, if relevant
Please submit your pitches by: May 29, 2026
Accepted pitches will be notified by: June 5, 2026
Workshop sessions will be held mid-June and mid-September 2026
Final pieces to be submitted by: October 16, 2026
Please keep this timeline in mind when submitting a pitch.
If you have any questions, please consult our About page or contact Bianca and Johanna at exhume.lit@gmail.com.
