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| Quarterly Essay | |
|---|---|
| Title | Quarterly Essay |
| Editor | Stephen Holt |
| Frequency | Quarterly |
| Founder | Allan Thomas |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Company | Schwartz Media |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
Quarterly Essay is an Australian periodical publishing long-form essays and extended reportage by prominent journalists, academics, and public intellectuals. It appears quarterly and features a single essay with a companion correspondence section, engaging debates across Australian politics, international relations, law, and culture. Contributors have included figures associated with Australian Labor Party, Liberal Party of Australia, Monash University, University of Sydney, and institutions such as Lowy Institute and Australian National University.
Quarterly Essay was founded in 2001 by Morry Schwartz and editors connected to The Monthly and independent publishing networks in Melbourne. Early issues responded to events including the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, debates over the Iraq War, and Australian involvement in Afghan conflict (2001–2021), while engaging commentators from The Age (Melbourne), The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian (Australia). Over time its pages featured writers linked with University of Melbourne, Griffith University, University of New South Wales, and journalists from ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), SBS (Australian broadcaster), and commercial outlets such as News Corp Australia. Editorial changes reflected tensions involving media ownership debates tied to figures like Rupert Murdoch and institutions such as Fairfax Media.
The magazine operates under an editorial board that has included editors from Schwartz’s publishing group and freelancers associated with The Monthly (Australia), Griffith Review, Australian Financial Review, and university presses including Melbourne University Publishing. Regular contributors have ranged from academics at Australian National University and University of Sydney to journalists from The Guardian (Australia), The Age (Melbourne), and broadcasters connected to ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Guest essayists have included former politicians who sat in the Parliament of Australia, diplomats posted to missions such as Australian Embassy, Washington, D.C., and public intellectuals affiliated with think tanks such as Centre for Independent Studies, Committee for Economic Development of Australia, and Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
Each issue publishes a single long-form essay, often 8,000–12,000 words, accompanied by a "Reader" correspondence section and occasional responses from public figures linked to the essay’s subject. Topics have included Australian foreign policy toward United States–Australia relations, domestic debates over the Native Title Act 1993, constitutional questions regarding the Governor-General of Australia, legal analysis referencing cases from the High Court of Australia, and cultural criticism of works by authors published by houses such as Allen & Unwin and HarperCollins Australia. Essays blend reportage, policy analysis, historical narrative referencing events like the Vietnam War and the Whitlam Dismissal, and investigative journalism drawing on sources from institutions including the Australian Bureau of Statistics and parliamentary records such as the Hansard.
Quarterly Essay has influenced public debate in arenas tied to Australian politics, media regulation, and foreign policy, attracting responses from ministers in cabinets led by prime ministers including John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, and Malcolm Turnbull. Essays have sparked coverage in major outlets such as The Age (Melbourne), The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, and international commentary in publications linked to The New York Times, The Guardian, and Financial Times. Academic citations appear in scholarship from faculties at University of Melbourne, Monash University, and Australian National University, and policy responses have been noted by agencies like the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia), parliamentary committees, and think tanks including Lowy Institute.
Pieces published have been shortlisted for and won journalism prizes administered by organizations such as the Walkley Awards, the Miles Franklin Award (when authors publish books deriving from essays), and prizes from university-affiliated centers including the Australian Book Industry Awards and accolades from bodies like the Australian Council of Trade Unions for investigative work that interfaces with labor history. Contributors have been recognized with fellowships at institutions including Harvard Kennedy School, Oxford University, and grants from councils such as the Australian Research Council.
Quarterly Essay has faced criticism over perceived political bias from commentators aligned with The Australian, Sky News Australia, and conservative think tanks including Institute of Public Affairs. Individual essays provoked rebuttals from figures such as former ministers and officials in cabinets of John Howard and Tony Abbott, and legal challenges have been threatened in matters touching on defamation involving media outlets like Nine Entertainment Co. and News Corp Australia. Debates over editorial independence have referenced media ownership controversies involving Morrison government policy disputes and inquiries paralleling public debates around Australian Communications and Media Authority regulation.
The periodical is distributed via newsagents, subscriptions, and digital platforms linked to Schwartz Media, reaching readers across cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. Its readership comprises journalists from outlets such as The Age (Melbourne), academics from University of Sydney and Australian National University, policy makers in the Parliament of Australia, lawyers practicing before the High Court of Australia, and cultural figures associated with festivals such as the Sydney Writers' Festival and Melbourne International Arts Festival. Quarterly Essay’s editions are held in collections at institutions including the National Library of Australia and university libraries at Monash University and University of Melbourne.
Category:Australian magazines