y separately published work icon The Bookfellow periodical  
Alternative title: Australia; Australia and the Bookfellow; The Bookfellow : The Australasian Review and Journal of the Australian Book Trade.
Issue Details: First known date: 1899... 1899 The Bookfellow
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

A. G. Stephens began the 'Red Page', a literary section in the Bulletin, in 1896. Augmenting the previous book columns, the 'Red Page' quickly became an influential forum for criticism of new books, providing Stephens with a reputation as one of Australia's most astute and powerful critics of Australian literature.

In 1899 Stephens attempted to attract the many readers of the 'Red Page' to his own magazine the Bookfellow. Although this venture lasted for only five issues, it published the poetry of Barcroft Boake, Frank Morton, Ethel Turner, Mary Hannay Foott and Victor Daley. In addition, Stephens printed French poetry and welcomed translations from readers. He also commissioned Christopher Brennan to write on the 'New French Poetry'. Stephens's contributions included book reviews and more substantial articles such as 'Henry Lawson and Literature'. Combined with the advertisements and notices from booksellers, the Bookfellow offered a sophisticated alternative to the Bulletin. But after the final fifth issue the concerns of the Bookfellow were incorporated into the small space the Bulletin provided for the 'Red Page'.

In October 1906 Stephens left the Bulletin and opened a bookshop on Hamilton Street, Sydney, called The Bookfellow's. On January 3 1907 the Bookfellow was revived as a weekly companion publication to promote new books and provide a forum for original works of Australian literature. Described as a 'high-class family magazine of general interest', the Bookfellow was distributed to all states of Australia and to New Zealand. The new series of the Bookfellow attracted contributions from many poets, including Mary Gilmore, John Shaw Neilson, Roderic Quinn, Hubert Church and James Hebblethwaite. Continuing the format of the earlier series, French and other European literature remained a significant subject. Various competitions were conducted to encourage reader participation, including translations, prose responses to certain themes, and limericks. In addition to literary subjects, the magazine printed articles on general subjects such as dog breeding and rose-growing. Despite the quality of this new series of the Bookfellow, the magazine failed to attract enough subscribers. By August 1907 the magazine and bookshop were failing financially. Stephens was forced to end both ventures and sell all the stock, including his own books, to stabilise his personal finances.

Despite the finacial catastrophe of earlier ventures, the Bookfellow was again revived in 1911. Except for a three-year hiatus during the First World War, the magazine remained in print (sometimes irregularly) for fourteen years. Throughout this period, Stephens continued to promote new books and print new Australian writing, drawing regular support from John Shaw Neilson, Hugh McCrae and Mary Gilmore. Christopher Brennan was also commissioned to continue his articles on French poetry. In 1919, when the magazine resumed production after the war, the literary content was significantly reduced and the Bookfellow began to appear less regularly. Unable to attract the number of subscriptions required to continue, and overburdened with the work required to attract advertisers and oversee the production, Stephens allowed the Bookfellow to lapse for the last time in March 1925.

Notes

  • RANGE: 1899-1925 (irregular)
  • FREQUENCY: Monthly (1899); Weekly (1907); Monthly (1911-1925); publication suspended March 1916-November 1919,
  • SIZE: 14cm (1899); 36cm (1907); 27-30cm (1911-1925); all issues less than 20 pages
  • PRICE: one penny (1899); threepence (1907); fourpence-sixpence (1911-1925)
  • Contents indexed selectively.

Contents

* Contents derived from the Sydney, New South Wales,: 1899-1925 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
Australian Authoresses, The Bookfellow , single work column (p. 19-27)
Note:

This issue of The Bookfellow covers biographical information about Mary Hannay Foott, and also includes five of her most popular poems. 

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

First known date: 1899

Works about this Work

Separating the 'Bookfellow' from the "Bookfellow": A.G. Stephens and the Australian Magazine Reader Roger Osborne , 2005 single work criticism
— Appears in: Australian Studies Centre: Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Collection 2005; (p. 275-291) Script and Print , vol. 29 no. 1-4 2005; (p. 260-275)
Perils of the Interior : Inside the Australian Artist's Studio Alexander Taylor , 2005 single work criticism
— Appears in: National Library of Australia News , July vol. 15 no. 10 2005;
Looks at the effects of both studios and outdoor spaces on an artist's work.
y separately published work icon Bunyips : Australia's Folklore of Fear Robert Holden , Nicholas Holden , Canberra : National Library of Australia , 2001 Z899883 2001 single work criticism This book examines the role of the bunyip in Australian folklore from the first European settlers to the present time. The bunyip was important in Aboriginal mythology and the origins of the word are discussed. One chapter is devoted to Australian literature and the portrayal of bunyips. There are also extracts from Australian stories.
y separately published work icon Jock : A Life Story of John Shaw Neilson Cliff Hanna , St Lucia : University of Queensland Press , 1999 Z509954 1999 single work biography
A.G. Stephens's "Bookfellow" in New Zealand Brian Kiernan , 1993 single work criticism
— Appears in: Australian Literary Studies , October vol. 16 no. 2 1993; (p. 211-215)
Perils of the Interior : Inside the Australian Artist's Studio Alexander Taylor , 2005 single work criticism
— Appears in: National Library of Australia News , July vol. 15 no. 10 2005;
Looks at the effects of both studios and outdoor spaces on an artist's work.
Editorial George Farwell , 1946 single work prose
— Appears in: The Australasian Book News and Library Journal , July vol. 1 no. 1 1946; (p. 1,3)
Farwell situates the Journal's role in the world of post-World War II Australian publishing.
Separating the 'Bookfellow' from the "Bookfellow": A.G. Stephens and the Australian Magazine Reader Roger Osborne , 2005 single work criticism
— Appears in: Australian Studies Centre: Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Collection 2005; (p. 275-291) Script and Print , vol. 29 no. 1-4 2005; (p. 260-275)
Memorial to A. G. Stephens 1937 single work column
— Appears in: Desiderata , 1 May no. 32 1937; (p. 7)
A.G. Stephens's "Bookfellow" in New Zealand Brian Kiernan , 1993 single work criticism
— Appears in: Australian Literary Studies , October vol. 16 no. 2 1993; (p. 211-215)
Last amended 4 Aug 2006 17:41:20
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