AN INVITATION STRICTLY FOR GROWN-UPS

West of the Moon: More Australian Fairy Tales for the 21st Century, our second illustrated anthology requires original, unpublished stories, flash fiction and poems from emerging talent and established writers.

The tales selected – through a blind judging process – may be old or new, slippery or subversive, haunted by the dark, leavened by sweet revenge or filled with sheer delight.

All must have something in common; a contemporary edge. Even those set in earlier times require a modern sensibility that reflects Australian landscapes, characters and voices, within the 21st century.

Our winners – soon to be announced – will join award-winning guest contributors, Cate Kennedy, Donna Cameron, Eugen Bacon, June Perkins, Serene Conneeley, and our cover artist Helen McCosker.

CALLING AUSTRALIAN ILLUSTRATORS!

Our new anthology ‘West of the Moon’ will pair selected illustrators with a story or poem, for which they’ll be paid $100/new illustration and retain copyright.

To express interest, please email three examples of your work (image files to be 1-2MB) and a link to your website or Instagram account by April 30, 2026.
E: ausfairytale.anthology@gmail.com

You’re welcome to share the love to your networks and/or join the mailing list for updates. Thank you!

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The Committee consists of volunteers who have contributed a significant amount of time to this project and will continue to edit, produce and publish a quality anthology. To assist with costs, including cover art, payment of authors and artists, professional cover design and interior design, copy editing, proofreading and printing of hard copies, we ran an Australian Cultural Fund crowdfunding campaign, now complete. Thank You for your generosity!

IN THE BEGINNING…
SOUTH OF THE SUN: AUSTRALIAN FAIRY TALES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

In late 2021, the Australian Fairy Tale Society released its first anthology, South of the Sun – funny and sweet, dark and delightful, this illustrated collection of enchanting bedtime stories, strictly for grown-ups, saw incredible success.

Featuring stories from emerging talent and leading award-winning Australian writers including Carmel Bird, Sophie Masson, Cate Kennedy and Eugen Bacon, along with artwork by foremost illustrators such as as Lorena Carrington and Kathleen Jennings, South of the Sun has sold nearly every copy printed.

Now we’re ready for the next volume, West of the Moon. Are you?