Call for Papers:
A Special Issue of TEXT –Why YA?: Researching, writing and publishing Young Adult
fiction in Australasia
http://textjournal.com.au
Editors: Jessica Seymour (Southern Cross University) and Denise Beckton (Central
Queensland University)
The early twenty-first century saw Young Adult (YA) fiction rise to become the world’s
fastest growing literature category. The diverse narratives are rich with mature themes, often
throwing the reader’s world and experiences into sharp clarity, but they are also capable of
light-heartedness, irreverence and suspension of reality. YA fiction explores identity,
growing up, and environmental, social and political concerns, often portraying violence and
sexuality with startling precision and empathy. Australasian YA fiction, in particular,
frequently draws on the relative isolation of the setting to bring issues of identity and
belonging into sharper clarity. Ironically, while YA fiction is considered a genre for
adolescents in scholarship, these narratives are attracting a wider age-defined readership.
Whatever the themes and concerns of the text, however, at the heart of every good YA
narrative is a good story.
Given that the YA genre is one of the most dynamic and economically progressive in the
contemporary marketplace, we are eager to highlight Australasian YA fiction, creative
practice and scholarly research. YA scholarship, in response to the genre’s growing
popularity, has become more common in the last few decades, but this scholarship is
generally considered to be an offshoot or subcategory of the more well-established Children’s
Literature criticism. We propose to offer a YA-specific space for scholars to present their
research. This special issue of TEXT Journal seeks to reflect on Australia’s unique scholarly
and creative contribution to this dynamic genre, and seeks submissions that address the
growing interest in stories for teenage readers, particularly those stories set in and around
Australasia. Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following:
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Reading, writing and publishing Australasian YA fiction – who is reading, writing
and publishing this work, and why?
Issues around the contemporary publishing landscape – where does Australian YA
fiction fit in?
Performing and/or modelling Australian citizenship in YA fiction
Tracing textual influences and traditions in Australian YA fiction
Representations of young people in Australasian YA fiction
The role of place and setting in Australasian YA fiction
Postcolonial themes and portrayals of racial diversity in Australasian YA fiction
Diversity of form in Australasian YA fiction; manga, graphic novels, verse novels,
and transmedia narratives
Trends in YA fiction – content, themes, readership and publishing, crossover
publishing
Comparative studies of Australasian and international YA fiction
The careers of those in the YA industry
Writing scholarship in Australasian YA fiction
Hybrid forms and Australasian YA fiction
Australasian YA fiction and film/online adaptations
Other related topics
Scholarly papers should be no more than 6000 words in length. Creative works will usually
be up to 3,500 words in length, or as agreed by editors.
Creative work must be accompanied by an ERA research statement that clearly explains the
submission’s relevance as a research outcome. Peruse any of TEXT journal’s Creative
Writing as Research special issues to familiarise yourself with research statements.
Please also contact us with ideas for book reviews
Deadline for initial submission: May 30, 2015
Please include a brief biography (200 words max, in TEXT style) and ensure that you include
your email address for reply. Submissions MUST be in TEXT style and formatting. Please see
www.textjournal.com.au/speciss/info.htm for submission guidelines.
Final revised submissions will be due: July 15, 2015
Publication date: October 2015 or April 2016
Email j.seymour.21@student.scu.edu.au if you have any queries.