Central Queensland University hosted the launch of Idiom 23 Literary Magazine, Volume 19, 2007 last Friday (January 18 at 3.30pm) at the CQU Bookshop on the Rockhampton Campus.

Idiom 23 is celebrating 20 years of publishing. The magazine has journeyed far since its first publication as Yapunya back in 1987.

The magazine was an initiative of the last Professor David Myers, the then Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, at the CIAE (now CQU), who later became the director of the CQU Press.

Editor of the magazine Liz Huf explains how the first edition got off the ground.

"David said to me: ‘Liz if you want to do something useful, why don't you get the students together and start a magazine of some sort.' The rest is history." 

"The original magazine was a collection of editorial by journalism and communications students which was collated on an old photocopier and sold with in an hour of print.

"Later named Idiom 23, for the Tropic of Capricorn, it became an annual journal dedicated to encouraging emerging writers in Central Queensland with the establishment of the Bauhinia Literary Awards, attracting numerous talented writers from all over Australia."

Listed on the international small magazines market and with the Queensland Writers Market Place, Idiom 23 receives a variety of work from overseas as well.

"The magazine has developed artistically and commercially by producing an exciting visual arts element from photo media students and from regional contributors who attend our annual writers workshops."

The latest edition of Idiom 23 encompasses a selection of photographs from the North Keppel Island Environmental Art Project 2007 on its cover. The project was coordinated by Shane Fitzgerald from Rockhampton Art Gallery, and artists Jill Chism and Elizabeth Woods worked with Yeppoon secondary school students on the many facets of land art to sculptures.

The magazine is filled with short stories, poetry, reviews and photography from artists across the country, many of whom were recipients of Bauhinia Literary Awards.

This edition also pays a special tribute to its founder, the late Professor David Myers.

During the magazine's official launch, the final book written by Professor Myers titled The Highly Unauthorised Old Testament, was also presented.

More details at: http://idiom23.cqu.edu.au/

Renowned local authors and contributors to the latest volume of Idiom 23, Isabel Hoch and Rita Diplock, join with Idiom 23 Editor Dr Liz Huf in celebrating 20 years of the magazine.
Shani Ballantine, who worked on the website for Idiom 23, and CQU Creative Writing lecturer Dr Lynda Hawryluk celebrate the launch of Idiom 23 Literary Magazine, Volume 19.
CQU's General Manager of Commercial Operations Paul Lancaster presents the late Professor David Myers' last look The Highly Unauthorised Old Testament.
Acting Director of CQU's Division of Teaching and Learning Services (DTLS) Graham Black and CQU Publishing Unit's Dale Challinor were keen supporters of this year's edition of Idiom 23.