AustLit

'In October 1962, the inaugural meeting of the proposed Society of Authors was held, to end the present feudal state of the Australian writer' and address the issues of 'poor and variable anthology fees, the need for standard contracts and the position regarding copyright' (Dal Stivens. foundation president). Broadside, the first journal of the Australian Society of Authors, began in September 1963 as a 'medium of information and opinion', and fulfilled that role until the last edition was published in July 1968 to make way for the launch of The Australian Author in 1969. This magazine was never intended as a literary puma\ and, as a result, did not meet the funding criteria of the time. Rather, its purpose was to 'concentrate attention on the defence of literary property—the writer's business (Stephany Steggall, Status and Sugar, 2013), which is exactly what it did for the next 50 years. ' (Publication summary)