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In 1943, Barrett Reid and Laurence Collinson were completing their high school education at Brisbane State High School, South Brisbane. Concerned that Australia's youth were not adequately represented by contemporary literary magazines, they founded the Senior Tabloid. Five issues later, the name was changed to Barjai, a magazine offering a publishing opportunity exclusively to writers under the age of twenty-one. Initially a small, type-written publication, Barjai was professionally printed from 1944, going through several changes of size in its short life.
Reid and Collinson attracted an enthusiastic group of young writers to Barjai, organising regular meetings at the Lyceum Club where guest speakers such as Judith Wright, Tom Inglis Moore and Paul Grano were heard. At these meetings members were also given the opportunity to read and discuss their own work. To encourage new work, writing competitions were conducted, employing judges such as C. B. Christesen and Rex Ingamells.
In addition to Reid and Collinson, other contributors to Barjai included Grace Perry, Thea Astley, Cecel Knopke, Barbara Patterson and Mary Wilkinson. The age of each contributor was clearly displayed and the range of ages often appeared in editorial comment. An idea of the poetic influences on this group of young writers is revealed in the poll conducted to find the most popular poets of their subscribers. The top three were Christopher Brennan, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Robert Browning. The only other Australian writers included among a large group of English poets were Rex Ingamells and John Shaw Neilson. But, despite the popularity of poets who employed traditional forms, Barjai welcomed and encouraged experimentation.
By 1946, the energy of the Barjai group was beginning to weaken. Laurence Collinson had moved to Sydney and others had left for teaching posts outside of Brisbane. In addition, Barjai experienced fiscal difficulties when the long-term financial support of the medical practitioner and patron of the arts Dr J. V. Duhig was withdrawn after he experienced tax problems. Unable to afford production costs, the editors reverted to a less expensive broadsheet format for the twenty-third number. But after failing to pay the printer for this number Barjai faltered, winding up production in 1947.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Country (Reluctantly) Meets City
2009
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Made in Queensland : A New History 2009; (p. 110-142) -
The Brisbane Years of Laurence Collinson
2006
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Queensland Review , vol. 13 no. 2 2006; (p. 1-12) -
Literary Sidelights on Wartime Brisbane
2004
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Queensland Review , December vol. 11 no. 2 2004; (p. 41-57) 'There have been several anecdotal accounts of the literary scene in Brisbane during World War II and numerous references in more general works. In 2000, Queensland Review published some reminiscences of writers Estelle Runcie Pinney, Don Munro, Val Vallis and David Rowbotham, under the title ‘Writing in Brisbane during the Second World War’. Some of the more important general works include Judith Wright's ‘Brisbane in Wartime’, Lynne Strahan's history of Meanjin and Judith Armstrong's biographical work on the Christesens, The Christesen Romance. My interest in this subject arose from editing Judith Wright's autobiography, Half a Lifetime, published in 1999, and recently in editing, with her daughter, letters between Judith Wright and Jack McKinney which were mainly written in Brisbane in the later years of the war and the immediate postwar period. Initially my purpose was to gather information to elucidate people or events mentioned in these writings, but my interest widened to embrace more general information about the period. My research led me to the conclusion that Meanjin and its editor Clem Christesen were catalysts for many of the literary activities in Brisbane during World War II, not just among resident Australians, but among troops temporarily stationed in Brisbane — particularly Americans, whom Christesen cultivated and published. This article records a few glimpses of literary life in Brisbane, and incidentally in the rest of the country, during a period described by Patrick Buckridge as never having been researched ‘in enough detail’.' (Extract) -
'Brisbane's Little Chelsea' : The Cultural Legacy of the Barjai and Miya Groups
2004
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Overland , Autumn no. 174 2004; (p. 58-62) Joanna Watson outlines the development of the little known Barjai Group of post-war writers and poets in Brisbane. She also provides and insight into the origin of the Miya Studio Group of Young artists. -
Before We Had the Hype
2003
single work
criticism
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 20 September 2003; (p. 4-5) This article discusses Brisbane's alternative cultural history - the artists, musicians and writers from the late 1940s to 1980.
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[Review] Barjai
1944
single work
review
— Appears in: Southerly , vol. 5 no. 3 1944; (p. 42-43)
— Review of Barjai 1943-1947 periodical (15 issues) -
The Current Literary Scene
1945
single work
review
— Appears in: Angry Penguins , no. [8] 1945; (p. 169-175)
— Review of Poets at War : An Anthology of Verse by Australian Servicemen 1944 anthology poetry ; Fourteen Minutes : Short Sketches of Australian Poets and Their Work, From Harpur to the Present Day: Based on Wireless Talks Delivered for the A.B.C. in 1942 1944 selected work criticism ; We're Going Through : A Radio Verse Play of the A.I.F. 1943 single work radio play ; Barjai 1943-1947 periodical (15 issues); Forests of Pan : A Selection of Poems Not Hitherto Reprinted from Hugh McCrae's Satyrs and Sunlight 1928 1944 selected work poetry ; As Iron Hills : Poems 1944 selected work poetry ; Fallen Petals 1944 selected work poetry ; Southerly vol. 5 no. 4 1944 periodical issue ; I Hear the Tramp of Millions 1945 selected work poetry -
Before We Had the Hype
2003
single work
criticism
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 20 September 2003; (p. 4-5) This article discusses Brisbane's alternative cultural history - the artists, musicians and writers from the late 1940s to 1980. -
Writing in Brisbane during the Second World War : A Panel Discussion
Patrick Buckridge
(interviewer),
2000
single work
autobiography
— Appears in: Queensland Review , October vol. 7 no. 2 2000; (p. 9-24)'As far as the Queensland Studies Centre is concerned, this session follows on from a conference that we put on in Townsville at the beginning· of July this year at James Cook University as part of the Australia Remembers program. When John Collins asked if the Centre would be interested in organising a session of this kind on a similar topic, I jumped at the chance. It seemed like a great opportunity to explore a literature - and more broadly a cultural milieu, that of the Second World War, particularly in Brisbane - which I think we have forgotten about rather too soon, and perhaps have never found out about it in enough detail.' (Preamble)
-
'Brisbane's Little Chelsea' : The Cultural Legacy of the Barjai and Miya Groups
2004
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Overland , Autumn no. 174 2004; (p. 58-62) Joanna Watson outlines the development of the little known Barjai Group of post-war writers and poets in Brisbane. She also provides and insight into the origin of the Miya Studio Group of Young artists. -
y
Barjai, Miya Studio and Young Brisbane Artists of the 1940s : Towards a Radical Practice
St Lucia
:
1987
Z1155099
1987
single work
thesis
-
Literary Sidelights on Wartime Brisbane
2004
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Queensland Review , December vol. 11 no. 2 2004; (p. 41-57) 'There have been several anecdotal accounts of the literary scene in Brisbane during World War II and numerous references in more general works. In 2000, Queensland Review published some reminiscences of writers Estelle Runcie Pinney, Don Munro, Val Vallis and David Rowbotham, under the title ‘Writing in Brisbane during the Second World War’. Some of the more important general works include Judith Wright's ‘Brisbane in Wartime’, Lynne Strahan's history of Meanjin and Judith Armstrong's biographical work on the Christesens, The Christesen Romance. My interest in this subject arose from editing Judith Wright's autobiography, Half a Lifetime, published in 1999, and recently in editing, with her daughter, letters between Judith Wright and Jack McKinney which were mainly written in Brisbane in the later years of the war and the immediate postwar period. Initially my purpose was to gather information to elucidate people or events mentioned in these writings, but my interest widened to embrace more general information about the period. My research led me to the conclusion that Meanjin and its editor Clem Christesen were catalysts for many of the literary activities in Brisbane during World War II, not just among resident Australians, but among troops temporarily stationed in Brisbane — particularly Americans, whom Christesen cultivated and published. This article records a few glimpses of literary life in Brisbane, and incidentally in the rest of the country, during a period described by Patrick Buckridge as never having been researched ‘in enough detail’.' (Extract)
