If you have a short story or prose piece ranging from 1000 to 8000 words in your drawer, you might like to enter the Eleventh Annual Tom Howard Short Story Contest. Full details appear on page 42.

Our first year of ABR Forums will end, fittingly, with a conversation about one of the year’s most talked-about publications: Barry Hill’s Broken Song (which Frances Devlin-Glass reviews elsewhere in this issue). The author will be in conversation with Robert Manne at 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 11 December. As usual, this Forum will take place at fortyfivedownstairs (45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne), in association with the Mietta Foundation. The cost is $10 ($8 for ABR subscribers and concessions). Bookings are essen-tial, via Readings in Carlton (03 9347 6633).

Lovers of the great Greek Alexandrian poet C.P. Cavafy may be interested in an evening of talks and readings to celebrate Cavafy. Organised by Professor Stathis Gauntlett of La Trobe University, this will take place at that university’s Melbourne campus (215 Franklin Street) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, 10 December. Dorothy Porter and Peter Rose will be among the speakers.

Due to rising costs, ABR subscription rates will increase on 1 February, the first such rise in eighteen months – all the more reason to subscribe soon if you don’t do so already. You will find our flyer inserted in the magazine. Current subscribers wishing to give away a gift subscription to a friend are entitled to a special discount of 10% before 1 February. To qualify for this special offer, they should complete the flyer and add their subscriber number or details.

Next year – with another busy editorial programme, new features, and many events – ABR will be looking for more volunteers to assist us in all aspects of the magazine. ABR volunteers seem to enjoy the experience, and quite a few of them have found it not professionally disadvantageous. Interested readers should contact the Editor by mail or e-mail.

Finally, ABR sends its best wishes to our readers, subscribers, contributors, volunteers, sponsors, and advertisers. We are grateful for your ringing support in 2002, and look forward to bringing you the first of our 2003 issues in February.