Swinburne mailers

A fascinating topic!

The Swinburne Mailers were a series of literary magazines published by the University of Melbourne's Swinburne University of Technology (formerly the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, RMIT) in the mid-20th century. The magazines were named after the English poet Algernon Charles Swinburne, known for his decadent and Symbolist poetry.

The Swinburne Mailers were launched in 1947 and ran for about 15 years, with a total of 24 issues published. The magazines were edited by a team of students and staff from RMIT, and featured a mix of poetry, short stories, essays, and reviews.

The Swinburne Mailers played an important role in promoting Australian literature and providing a platform for emerging writers. Many notable Australian authors and poets contributed to the magazines, including Patrick White, David Campbell, and Judith Wright.

The magazines also featured work by international writers, such as T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, and Wallace Stevens. The Swinburne Mailers were known for their avant-garde and experimental approach to literature, reflecting the cultural and artistic movements of the time.

Unfortunately, the Swinburne Mailers are now rare and out of print, making them a valuable resource for scholars and collectors of Australian literature. However, many of the issues have been digitized and are available online through various libraries and archives.

Overall, the Swinburne Mailers were an important part of Australian literary history, providing a platform for innovative and experimental writing and helping to establish the country's literary reputation on the international stage.