Local Writers and Protectionism

Posted by Colin Harvey May 12, 2009

On Sunday I received an e-mail from Ticonderoga Publications, a small Australian outfit who publish new titles by --among others-- American writers Lewis Shiner and Steven Utley, as well as by local authors such as Stephen Dedman and Sean Williams.

Their publications include a couple of original anthologies, including one extrapolating from existing Australian legislation. That calls for detailed knowledge unlikely to be known to those outside the country, and therefore favours local writers -- that kind of unstated protectionism is clever and positive.

But as I opined in a review of Best Australian Dark Fantasy & Horror for The Fix, Australian-only anthologies based solely on residence or birth work against the very writers they're ostensibly looking to develop; magazines like Interzone are criticized for not giving preference to British writers, yet like all affirmative action such policies promote mediocrity. Better to make local writers compete against outsiders and raise the standards. In the case of Interzone, it's clearly working -- the magazine improves issue by issue, driven by the need for contributors to raise their game if they want to get in.

I'm aware that in writing this, I'm risking allegations of hypocrisy; after all, I've just edited an anthology of local stories. But in my case, had I not had such brilliant stories to choose from, I was quite prepared to go outside the region and call for subs from further afield.

Note to Ticonderoga; make 'em fight for their places -- don't give writers a slot on where they come from.