Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Critics Eda Gunaydin, Michael Sun, and Cher Tan examined the present state and potential futures of literary criticism.
Literary criticism seemed to be in an endless state of decline. In so-called Australia, a particular flavor of cultural cringe was yoked to cultural hegemony: critics found themselves locked within the ivory tower, self-censoring for fear of offense, or deliberately pursuing contrarianism for clicks. How, then, did critics move beyond this deadlock? Who decided what was 'good' criticism? What, exactly, was the function of criticism at that time? This panel discussion saw three critics exploring the possibilities of literary criticism, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the critic. Together, they picked apart these issues and attempted to propose a future for reviews that took into account not only writers and editors but also readers and culture as a whole.
Presented in partnership with Liminal.
Critics Eda Gunaydin, Michael Sun, and Cher Tan examined the present state and potential futures of literary criticism.
Literary criticism seemed to be in an endless state of decline. In so-called Australia, a particular flavor of cultural cringe was yoked to cultural hegemony: critics found themselves locked within the ivory tower, self-censoring for fear of offense, or deliberately pursuing contrarianism for clicks. How, then, did critics move beyond this deadlock? Who decided what was 'good' criticism? What, exactly, was the function of criticism at that time? This panel discussion saw three critics exploring the possibilities of literary criticism, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the critic. Together, they picked apart these issues and attempted to propose a future for reviews that took into account not only writers and editors but also readers and culture as a whole.
Presented in partnership with Liminal.
