Griffith Review 94: Out of Office

Most of us will spend a dispiriting 90,000 hours of our lives at work. That’s a third of the average lifespan; no wonder so many of us want to stick it to the man. Love it or hate it, how we spend our working hours – whether for ourselves, for our families or for a faceless corporation – can have a profound influence on our self-worth, our social circles, and our sense of purpose and identity. But where did work come from? What rights should our employers have to circumscribe our speech? What’s the role of unions in the twenty-first century? Why don’t we have a universal basic income? How do we separate our jobs from our selves? And whatever happened to the four-hour work week? 

This edition of Griffith Review clocks in for another day at the coalface.  
 

Things for you to note: 

* You can submit up to four individual poems, each no longer than two pages.

* While poems don't need to be themed, we welcome submissions that respond to the theme.

* We'll let you know the outcome of your submission within eight weeks of the call-out closing date.  

Submissions open: 09:00 am AEST, 22 June 2026

Submissions close: 11:59 pm AEST, 12 July 2026

Publication date: November 2026