Rodney Croome Rodney Croome i(A26792 works by)
Gender: Male
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BiographyHistory

Rodney Croome was co-founder of the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group, established in 1989. He has since become a high-profile human rights campaigner, specifically for gay and lesbian rights, speaking at many forums around the world. He has been a member of many policy committees at state and federal level and continues in 2004 as a project officer with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission. Croome has remained loyal to his home state by offering testimonials for advertising campaigns. He has also been active in the Tasmanian arts community, serving as editor of the literary magazine Island for four years (1995-1999).

Most Referenced Works

Personal Awards

2015 winner Australian of the Year TAS Australian of the Year
2015 finalist Human Rights Medal
2003 Order of Australia Member of the Order of Australia (AM) For service to the community as a human rights advocate, particularly through promoting tolerance and understanding of the human rights of gay and lesbian people.

Awards for Works

y separately published work icon Island Sandy Bay : Island Magazine , 1990- Z868255 1990- periodical (125 issues)

When Michael Denholm returned to Tasmania in the late 1970s, he became involved in organising poetry readings. Discussions with poets and other writers led to a proposal for a new literary magazine to feature Tasmanian writers. With Andrew Sant and Tim Thorne, Denholm founded the Tasmanian Review, publishing the first issue in June 1979. In March 1981, the magazine was renamed Island Magazine, indicating a shift in editorial policy to produce a more national magazine.

Island Magazine published poems, short stories, articles, interviews, photographs and graphics. During the 1980s, the magazine exhibited a strong concern for ecological issues, supporting protests against the Tasmanian government's proposed damming of the Franklin River. But, reflecting the national character of the magazine, contributors during this period included Les Murray, Christopher Koch{n), Dorothy Green, Humphrey McQueen, Donald Horne, Frank Moorhouse, Gwen Harwood, Bernard Smith, Hugh Stretton, Tim Wintoni8), Olga Masters, Marion Halligan, John Forbes, Judith Beveridge2[), Geoff Page and Peter Porter.

In 1989 Denholm and Sant edited First Rights: A Decade of Island Magazine, bringing their term as editors of Island Magazine to a close. Cassandra Pybus was appointed editor and the magazine soon displayed the shortened title Island. During Pybus's term, circulation increased substantially and the reputation of the magazine grew to rival many of the older mainland literary quarterlies. But Pybus's editorial practices, which included employing non-Tasmanian guest editors, caused a conflict with members of the magazine's board who wanted to maintain a Tasmanian focus. In 1994 the board requested her resignation, ending Pybus's term in controversial circumstances, and prompting heated debates in mainland magazines.

Rodney Croome, a prominent Tasmanian gay rights activist, was appointed editor of Island after a short interim period. This coincided with mainland criticism that Island was fast becoming a parochial publication and did not deserve funding from the federal government. With the magazine in financial difficulty, the editorial board challenged this assertion, but, regardless, Croome followed an editorial policy that he later called 'Voicing the South'. In 1999, continuing financial difficulty influenced a 'strategic planning process' with the support of Arts Tasmania , resulting in a change of editorial policy to that originally voiced by Denholm and Sant: 'The two criteria which determine the selection of material for the journal are excellence and variety'. This policy was implemented by David Owen, who was appointed editor in late 1999.

Matthew Lamb was appointed Editorial Director and Features Editor in 2013, with Geordie Williamson as the fiction editor and Sarah Holland-Batt as the poetry editor. Geordie Williamson was replaced by Anica Boulanger-Mashberg as fiction editor in 2016; both Boulanger-Mashberg and Holland-Batt left their roles in 2019. Matthew Lamb left his role as editor in 2015.

In 2015, Island stopped producing an online edition and expanded its print run significantly. In late 2019, Island announced that it has not secured Arts Tasmania funding for 2020-2024, and would need to explore additional avenues for funding.

2024 recipient Australia Council Grants, Awards and Fellowships Carbon Neutral Pilot
2021 recipient The Copyright Agency Cultural Fund Cultural Fund Grants for Organisations Better payment for writers and two major literary prizes
2020 recipient The Copyright Agency Cultural Fund Cultural Fund Grants for Organisations Contributors’ fees and the Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize
Last amended 12 Feb 2020 08:24:01
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