The Big Issue's 20th annual Fiction Edition is now on sale.
The milestone issue includes new short fiction from 13 writers, who were selected from more than 800 submissions.
Since it was first launched in 2004, the Fiction Edition has become the biggest-selling fiction magazine in Australia.
The short story competition is a rare opportunity for new and emerging writers to see their work published in a national print magazine. There is no entry fee to the competition and each published author receives a prize of $500.
The Big Issue editor Amy Hetherington says that the beloved bumper issue isn't only a highlight for readers and vendors, but an increasingly valuable showcase of local talent.
"To make it to the 20th year of the Fiction Edition shows how important it is to have an accessible platform in Australia for anyone with a story to tell," she said.
"Aside from being a best-selling edition for our vendors, the Fiction Edition is an extraordinary opportunity for emerging writers to share their work on a national scale. The Edition is full of fantastic stories, and I congratulate all our successful writers!"
The Fiction Edition has provided a launchpad for writers who've gone on to have prolific literary careers.
Crime writer Jane Harper was inspired to write her international bestseller The Dry after her short story Spiders and Flies was published in the 2014 Fiction Edition.
Melissa Manning's 2018 story Stone formed part of her Smokehouse collection, which won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Fiction in 2022.
Other writers discovered through the submissions process have gone on to win the Miles Franklin and Vogel Literary Awards.
Copies are available for $9 from The Big Issue vendors around the country.
Vendors are equipped for cash, card and app payments.
Readers who aren't close to a vendor can purchase the magazine through The Big Issue's online store or subscribe and support its Women's Workforce.
The Big Issue is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and creating work opportunities for people experiencing homelessness, marginalisation and disadvantage.
