Griffith Review 83: Past Perfect
The past, famously, is a foreign country – but in the twenty-first century, it’s one in which we increasingly seek solace.

No matter the relentless pace of technological innovation and the digitisation of everything from money to media – our appetites for retro design and aesthetics, for cultural products that reimagine technicolour-dream versions of decades gone by, or for fantasies of a past golden political age are ever on the rise.

But what fuels this love affair with recycling our history? What periods do we choose to romanticise, and how do our rose-tinted glasses occlude reality? Is all this nostalgia signifying – as the late Mark Fisher opined – 'the slow cancellation of the future'?

This edition of Griffith Review surveys our need to idealise, sensationalise and glamorise – and asks what the circular nature of our obsessions says about our present cultural moment.

Submissions open rom fMonday 4 September to Sunday 15 October.
Things for you to note:
* We're looking for non-fiction and fiction that responds to the theme.
* We'd prefer pieces that are no longer than 4,000 words (they can, of course, be much shorter than this).
* Attention poets! We'll be opening a separate poetry call-out on 23 October – keep an eye on our social media and newsletter for more details soon.
* We'll let you know the outcome of your submission within eight weeks of the call-out closing date.

Full submissions only – no pitches, please.
Submissions close: 11:59 pm AEST, 15 October 2023
Publication date: February 2024