Eda Gunaydin on the dark side of academia and RF Kuang's blockbuster Katabasis. bit.ly/3IVxPBU

RF Kuang’s blockbuster Katabasis is a reminder that the modern university sector is something of a hellscape, writes Eda Gunaydin. But it doesn’t have to be this way. 📖 Katabasis is out via @harpercollins.bsky.social.

Deadline for applications is this Sunday! Apply now: www.killyourdarlings.com.au/mentors-prog...

Australian writer Fox McGlasson has been shortlisted for one of the most exciting short fiction prizes in the world, the Desperate Literature Prize! Read the spotlighted story—their first piece of published fiction—a compelling experimental micro fiction.

"When I was younger, I had one of those intense girlhood friendships that seemed to quiver on the precipice of something else, some dark unknown whose edge we danced along even as we trembled at the idea of crossing it." Read more from @dzenanabanana.bsky.social: bit.ly/4709F10

For a long time, I felt like the books I consumed needed to be worthy, writes Sam Van Zweden. Seeking pleasure instead has reminded me why I fell in love with words in the first place. bit.ly/47fqEh4

Secrets, longing and unexplained voices from beyond the grave — this week Dženana Vucic @dzenanabanana.bsky.social joins @rebeccastarford.bsky.social to talk about recently re-released gothic masterpiece, Elizabeth Jolley’s The Well. Listen now: apple.co/4mY0JiG

💪 *New* 30 Day Writing Boot Camp with @rebeccastarford.bsky.social Gain immediate access to daily lessons, prompts, motivational tools and writing exercises designed to strengthen your craft, boost creativity and build a foundation for future writing projects. Sign up: bit.ly/475C5XI

'I have never had so little time to write and so much to write about.' Megan Cheong explores the relationship between creativity and mothering.

'Once you learn to follow the logic, the solution comes into focus. A tiny intersection of poetry and mathematics.' Lily Bryant on how cryptic crosswords helped in grieving her grandfather.

We’re thrilled to announce Valerie Yu from Brisbane Girls Grammar School as the winner of this year’s KYD School Writing Prize! Read the judge’s report and story in the magazine. bit.ly/42VWZab

Read the companion essay to our latest Queer Critics podcast. @samhellkin.bsky.social discusses Danielle Laidley’s uneasy path from football legend to trans icon. Read more: bit.ly/4nVJsr8

Hello, yes, I’m the author or editor of fourteen books, some of them prize-winning and some of them bestselling. I’ve written nonfiction and children’s picture books. And I can *mentor you* as part of @kydmagazine.bsky.social program. You have until October 12th to apply.

🔔 Deadline Extended!🔔 Applications for the KYD Mentors Program now close 12 October. Apply now for the chance to participate in a structured editorial mentorship designed to support early-career writers in the development of a long-form work of fiction or non-fiction. 🔗 bit.ly/3V6fh4q

To Substack, or not to Substack? We asked some well-versed writers what they've discovered in using the burgeoning platform.

What does it take to be the first, to walk the path untrodden? In the second episode of KYD’s new limited podcast series, author, critic and radio maker Sam Elkin discusses Danielle Laidley’s Don't Look Away, a groundbreaking memoir about trans awakening and life in the AFL.

Read an extract from Ruins, a new novel from Amy Taylor—a past graduate of KYD's Mentors Program!

What was queer heartbreak like in 1950s Melbourne? In episode one of KYD’s new limited podcast series, @madeleinegray.bsky.social discusses Beverley Farmer’s cult classic ‘Alone’. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts! Apple: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...

'You’re increasingly the odd person out if you aren’t queer and ethically non-monogamous.' Mx Sly on the sexual politics of Melbourne’s queer dating scene.

Some beings are made for magic. Read more in this new story by Elizabeth Tan, author of the Stella-longlisted short fiction collection Smart Ovens for Lonely People.

🌈📚 Introducing our new limited series podcast: Queer Critics Series 🎙️ Launching Monday 29 September — listen to the trailer and subscribe now!

⏰ Submissions close Sunday 28/9 for KYD's Creative Non-Fiction Essay Prize! ⏰ We’re seeking creative non-fiction essays between 2500 and 3500 words, on any subject and in any style. First prize is $2500, with two runner-up prizes of $1000 each. 🔗 To submit:

Are blurbs and endorsements on book covers pointless? Author @damonyoung.com.au digs into whether the industry should do away with the puff.

Em Meller on the peculiar vulnerability of writing fiction. Read more: bit.ly/4gD9SM4

‘Maybe shame is good, maybe it is useful. Maybe a certain kind of writer needs to feel more ashamed.’ Read this essay by Em Meller, whose novel manuscript was shortlisted for the 2024 Vogel Award, on the peculiar vulnerability of writing fiction.

From 'Fairy Bred' by Elizabeth Tan. Read more: bit.ly/3IcxhHu

Elizabeth Tan is a master of the experimental and the weird. Read a new exclusive short story from one of our favourites about a being born for magic.

ICYMI: Senior editor @katewhitfield.bsky.social on the hidden potential of the romantasy phenomenon. Read more: bit.ly/4mqANMq

Read an excerpt of Plastic Budgie by Olivia De Zilva, out now via Pink Shorts Press. bit.ly/3VFLX5b

Today in KYD, read an excerpt from Plastic Budgie, a genre-defying autofiction that proves debut author Olivia De Zilva as a ‘literary force’ (Readings). It subverts expectations around Asian diasporic coming-of-age narratives. And it’s very funny. bit.ly/3VFLX5b

Applications for the February–June 2026 KYD Mentors Program are now open! We are so excited to announce this round's brilliant new mentors. Applications close at 11.59pm (AEST) Sunday 5 October 2025. 🔗 Find more details here: bit.ly/3V6fh4q

Natalia Figueroa Barroso brings the Uruguayan diaspora and Western Sydney’s melting pot to the page. In this interview, she discusses her debut novel Hailstones Fell without Rain, a pacy, multi-generational story about a migrant struggling to raise her three daughters. bit.ly/3KdPXqM

What can we glean from the last bastion of regular television book coverage? @samtwyfordmoore.bsky.social finds out. killyourdarlings.com.au/article/brin...

Printing costs are up, conglomerations are in and workers report burnout in increasing numbers. Senior Editor Alaina Gougoulis @radiomoderation.bsky.social explores the dire state of the publishing industry. www.killyourdarlings.com.au/article/the-...

Senior book editor @KateWhitfield.bsky.social on the rise of romantasy. Read more: buff.ly/j4ygSMk

Calling all last minute pitches: Our non-fiction submissions close tomorrow!

As a senior book editor and a reformed lit snob, writes Kate Whitfield, I’ve watched the rise of romantasy with interest. Beyond sex and dragons, the revitalisation of genre fiction has hidden potential. buff.ly/j4ygSMk

Need some weekend reading? Today, we're resharing Nina Culley’s essay on what society's shifting perspectives on love and marriage have meant for contemporary literary fiction. bit.ly/3IiLHFU

It's our favourite time of year—the Emerging Writers Festival is on! This weekend, come see our editor, Suzy Garcia, chat about the literary landscape with lit agent Grace Heifetz, writer-bookseller Marina Sano and author-publisher Marilyn Miller at the National Writers’ Conference. bit.ly/3JXB103

Melanie Cheng’s advice to short story writers in our latest What I Wish I’d Known. Read more: bit.ly/4m2sx5d

First forays into crafting fiction often lean towards the shorter side. But concision is its own skill set. We asked writers what they’ve learned along the way about keeping it brief. Featuring Laura Jean McKay, Tony Birch, Melanie Cheng and more! bit.ly/4m2sx5d

The closure of Meanjin is real blow to the Australian literary community. We're sad to see the loss of another place where writers, thinkers, and culture-makers have a voice and platform. Our thoughts are with staff and contributors.

✏️ Would you like to write for us? We’re taking non-fiction pitches until 11.59pm, Tuesday 16 September. For more details on our submission guidelines and to submit your work 👉 bit.ly/4gb73Sm

🎉 Submissions are now open for Kill Your Darling’s Creative Non-Fiction Essay Prize. Entries close: 11:59pm AEST, Sunday, 28 September. To submit: bit.ly/4mFnBUQ. Good luck!

Nina Culley explores love in contemporary literary fiction. Read more: bit.ly/4lOl9u1

Once upon a time, the marriage plot served the inevitable happy ending. What happens when the institution—and with it, the tidy narrative—slips out of fashion? Read more: bit.ly/3JwSLPt

Today in KYD, we’re sharing an essay from the archive. Read this by Aleks Hammo, host of the Normal podcast, on Marcus Aurelius, Jordan Peterson and the manosphere’s Stoic revival. Read more: bit.ly/421oPBt

Journalists @arielbogle.bsky.social and @camersonwilson on their new book, Conspiracy Nation. Read more: buff.ly/dTxn79C

Journalists @arielbogle.bsky.social and @camersonwilson.bsky.social are the authors of Conspiracy Nation, an investigation into Australia’s radicalised fringes. In this interview, they talk to us about media ethics and why anyone could be susceptible to disinformation. bit.ly/47NuQFy

From a new exclusive story from Melanie Cheng, author of The Burrow. Read more: bit.ly/3VhoZ3L