upcoming editions

Every year, we aim to publish three themed editions. We choose topics based on subjects we think are most engaging to students. Previous magazines have explored sex and health, the environment, and artificial intelligence. There’s prompts below to inspire your pieces, but submissions are by no means restricted to these lists. It’s important the magazine reflects a broad range of perspectives and angles, so dive into the theme below and send your work to us at curieux@canberra.edu.au.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

  • Articles / Essays / Creative Writing / Reviews – 1500 words max.

  • Poetry – 40 lines max.

  • Lists – 15 items max.

  • Visual Art / (Photos of) sculpture / Photography – 4 images per submission max.

  • Film – 20 minutes max.

  • Original Music – 10 minutes max.

Note: If you can’t meet the guidelines, get in touch and we may be able to accommodate your piece.

SUBMISSIONS: NOW OPEN, CLOSING JANUARY 31st 2024!

Get ready to geek out - Curieux is delving into the fascinating world of fandom! Whether it’s a favourite band, podcast, YouTuber or film franchise, there’s bound to be something that has got you a little bit obsessed. Something you’ve acquired a scary amount of knowledge about. Something you’ll deliver a passionate lecture on to anyone who’ll listen. Well, we’re listening.

Curieux wants to share your enthusiasm as well as hear your thoughts about the very phenomenon of fandom. Our favourite things can shape our identity and help us find a sense of community. They can also lead to fanaticism and toxic behaviour. We might develop parasocial relationships with on-screen personas…We might love a bad TV show and struggle to say why…A newly announced reboot might fill us with anxiety and dread…In Fanpage, we’ll be exploring all of this and more.

PROMPTS FOR Fanpage

ARTICLES:

  • What have you been a fan of for most of your life?

  • Investigate some of the most niche fandoms in Canberra or further afield

  • When does being a fan become too much?

  • Have you ever lost a friend or family member to a fandom? #cult

  • Write about a time when a fan was driven to violence

  • What are you embarrassed to be a fan of? Why?

  • Is a parasocial relationship ever a good thing?

  • What happens when fandoms get political? Has something you love ever been censored?

  • Is there a piece of media that’s helped you through hardship?

  • A host of celebrities publicised their endorsement for either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. Is it ethical for celebrities to engage their fans for political purposes?

  • What drives exclusivity in fandoms? Why are some groups reluctant to welcome new fans?

  • What adaptations of an original book or movie have upset you the most?

  • If advertising is inherently manipulative, why do people become fans of brands?

  • Investigate the disturbing behaviour of people who are invested fans of serial killers.

  • Is being a fan of true crime content problematic?

  • Why do once niche fandoms move into the mainstream?

  • Tell us about a fictional character you idolise

CREATIVE:

  • The letter to my idol I could never bring myself to send.

  • Waking up in the world of my favourite character.

  • They're not the number one fan, I am. And I'm going to prove it.

  • A fan from the future travels back in time to meet the creator, inadvertently putting the work itself in danger.

  • The deleted scene that changes everything.

  • The cursed collectable.

  • My idol is a lie.

  • Decades later, the author's secret diary was discovered.

  • A world where fans upload their consciousness into their fandom of choice.

  • When I crossed the line from fandom to crime.

  • As a character in an unfinished story, I live my life in limbo.

Design:

  • Memorabilia

  • Fandom through time and history

  • Fan fatigue

  • Personal altars

  • The posters I chose

  • Faces of the fandom

  • Hidden fandom

  • Alter ego

  • Between two worlds