Griffith Review 96: Under the Influence

When was the last time someone truly influenced you – and how? In Oscar Wilde’s iconic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton declares that there’s no such thing as a good influence, since anyone so susceptible to another person’s thoughts and passions surely can’t have strong enough convictions of their own. But how easy is it – particularly in the midst of Stage 4 late capitalism – to discern our own tastes and desires from effective marketing or algorithmic trickery? How do we distinguish pernicious control from positive guidance? And how do we measure influence in the third wave of the information age?  

Win friends and influence people* with this edition of Griffith Review.  

*not guaranteed 

Pitching for non-fiction pieces is open from Monday 12 October to Sunday 25 October.

Things for you to note: 

* We're looking for non-fiction pitches (essay, memoir, reportage) that respond to the theme.  

* Pitches should be for pieces of no longer than 4,000 words. We pay 75 cents per word up to a maximum of $3,000 for the maximum length of 4,000 words. 

* If we'd like to commission your pitch, we'll notify you in mid-November and will ask you to submit your full draft by 11 January. 

* Attention fiction writers and poets! We'll be opening a separate call-out for full fiction and poetry submissions on 7 December – keep an eye on our social media and newsletter for more details soon.    

Submissions close: 11:59 pm AEST, Sunday 25 October 2026.   

Publication date: May 2027