Sophie Cunningham is Meanjin’s new (and eighth) editor but the footsteps that will take Meanjin forward are those laid down by Clem Christesen, the journal’s founding editor, in 1940. Christesen once said he wanted Meanjin to ‘make clear the connection between literature and politics’. So does Cunningham: ‘Let’s see where those footsteps take us next.’

In the September edition of Meanjin, Georgia Blain talks about life-writing, Joseph Pearson considers Don Watson’s American Journeys in light of the USA primaries, Mel Campbell buys a leather jacket, book editor Andrea McNamara tells us why AFL is her first and greatest sporting love, and book designer W.H. Chong give us six great cover ideas. David Nichols defends the suburbs, Anthony Macris describes his young son’s descent into severe autism, Lynne Spender states the case for the Copyleft movement and John Van Tigglen hangs with the twitchers up in Cooktown. Fiction includes the extraordinary newcomer Abigail Ulman; Luke Stickels, Sandra White, Mark Dapin and one from the master: Alex Miller. We continue with the serialization of Caroline Lee’s novel Stripped and Kate Fielding’s graphic history, Their Hooks Find Hold Deep in Our Flesh.

Sophie Cunningham has been an editor and publisher for over 16 years. Working for well-known publishing companies such as McPhee Gribble/Penguin and Allen & Unwin, she has worked with prominent Australian writers including Tim Winton, Dorothy Hewett, Richard Flanagan and Luke Davies. Cunningham has also held positions as a Creative Writing lecturer and tutor and has been a mentor to young and emerging Australian writers. Her first novel, Geography was published in 2004. Her second, Bird, was published in June this year.