dSCRIBE

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Part of our annual writing program inSITU, is our very own Darebin literary print publication, dSCRIBE. This annual literary magazine publishes all forms of creative writing (including but not limited to fiction, poetry, short stories, journalistic pieces, creative non-fiction) from writers living, working and or studying within the City of Darebin. 

Published in September 2025, with a launch event celebrated as part of Darebin FUSE Festival, dSCRIBE 18 was edited by local Panda Wong with cover artwork by Jacquie Meng. The theme of dSCRIBE 18 is ‘Spiralling’.  

"Extending from last year’s theme 'Desire Lines', 'Spiralling' is about lines of rotation, return and radiance. Spiralling as in the dreaded emotional spiral, vertigo, a loop to break out of or move through. Or the ever-present spiralling in nature – how seals sleep in the ocean, the tininess of DNA, the way ants swirl themselves into death spirals, the tips of our fingers. To spiral is to ascend, descend and be in constant motion. It expands, shifts, and opens us up to alternative times, spaces, ways of seeing and feeling."   - Panda Wong, dSCRIBE18 Editor 

Download dSCRIBE 18

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Darebin Mayor's Writing Award 2025

Selected from the dSCRIBE 18 entries, the prize winners for the 2025 Darebin Mayor's Writing Award are:

Winner: Bradley Visaka David: "Ode to Flinders St, Wurundjeri (Thornbury)"

Honourable Mention: Abbra Kotlarczyk: "Eponymous Tree [Excerpt]"

Writers published in dSCRIBE 18: Michaela Bear, Edward Caruso, Rosa Cass, Bradley Visaka David, Liza Dezfouli, Joe Goddard, Edward Hodge, Ariele Hoffman, Emilie Kilvington, Abbra Kotlarczyk, Aaron Leyshon, Claudine Marie, Zarzokimi Moss, Cee Powell, Cushla Scanlan, Stephen Smithyman, William Stanforth, Eli (Liz) Sutherland, Tharidi Walimunige, Carl Walsh, Stephanie Westwood, and Rowan Williams.

dSCRIBE 19

Entries for dSCRIBE 19 will open in 2026, further details to be announced in due course. 

Eligibility Criteria

  • Authors must live, work, study or play in the City of Darebin. 

  • Darebin Council Employees, including casuals, are not eligible for the Darebin Mayor’s Writing Award, but will be considered for publication in dSCRIBE. 

  • Authors must be 18 years of age or older. If you are under 18, we highly recommended you check out Voiceworks mag run by our friends at Express Media. 

Submission Guidelines 

  • All submissions must be based around the theme ‘SPIRALLING’. 

  • Writing must be original and not have been published by any publisher including online blogs, journals. 

  • Limit of one submission per person. 

  • Word limit on submissions is up to 1,500 words. Poets may submit a maximum of 3 poems.  

  • Submissions can be in your own language, however a translation in English must be provided for assessment. 

Submission Instructions

  • Please make sure your name is not included in the submitted work. We use a blind submission process, to be fair to all. If your uploaded writing appears with your name on the document, it will be disqualified. 

  • Your writing must be typed, double-spaced, and submitted online as a Word file. Any font is acceptable. Ideally, size should be 11 or 12 point. If you need support accessing a computer or submitting online, Darebin libraries are on hand to assist you in submitting your work. 

  • Each page must be numbered and include the title. 

  • Please name your file using the following format: title of your work.file type eg. To the Lighthouse.docx. 

  • The final selection of works to be published is made by the assessment panel. No correspondence will be entered into. 

  • No hard copies or emailed writing will be accepted. 

  • No iPad documents, pdfs or photos will be accepted. 

Access 

  • If you require assistance completing this form you can speak with a staff member at any Darebin Libraries branch.  

Stay in the Loop

Make sure you follow us on Instagram @darebin_arts and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with announcements for 2026 inSITU workshops and dSCRIBE entries.  

For more information about dSCRIBE magazine generally, contact: writingprojects@darebin.vic.gov.au  

Image by Tom Noble

Previous editions

Click on the covers below to read past issues of dSCRIBE magazine.

d-SCRIBE, 2024(PDF, 6MB)

The front cover of dSCRIBE 17: Desired Lines

d-SCRIBE, 2023(PDF, 3MB)

d-SCRIBE 2023 Front Cover

d-SCRIBE (Youth), 2023(PDF, 1MB)

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n-SCRIBE, 2022(PDF, 846KB)

n-SCRIBE 2022 Cover

n-SCRIBE, 2020(PDF, 33MB)

n-Scribe 2020 cover

n-Scribe 14, 2019(PDF, 3MB)

n-Scribe 14 cover 2019

n-Scribe 13, 2018(PDF, 3MB)

n-Scribe 13 cover 2018

n-Scribe 12, 2017(PDF, 2MB)

n-Scribe 12 cover 2017

n-Scribe 11, 2016(PDF, 510KB)

n-Scribe 11 cover 2016

n-Scribe 10, 2015(PDF, 3MB)

n-Scribe 10 cover 2015

n-Scribe 9, 2014(PDF, 1MB)

n-Scribe 9 cover 2014

n-Scribe 8, 2013(PDF, 5MB)

n-Scribe 8 cover 2013

More Information

For more information about n-SCRIBE magazine, contact:

Darebin arts writing projects

Email: writingprojects@darebin.vic.gov.au

nSCRIBE 2020 JOGGING AT NIGHT by Becki Bouchier
Local writer Becki Bouchier reads her work JOGGING AT NIGHT published in n-SCRIBE 2020 - the latest edition of Darebin's annual literary magazine.
Watch on YouTube

nSCRIBE 2020 THE MUAY THAI GRUNT by Jes Layton
Local writer Jes Layton reads his work THE MUAY THAI 'GRUNT' published in n-SCRIBE 2020 - the latest edition of Darebin's annual literary magazine.
Watch on YouTube

nSCRIBE 2020 THE TREADMILL A HAIKU FOR MA by Nicholas Ling
Local writer Nicholas Ling reads his works THE TREADMILL + A HAIKU FOR MA published in n-SCRIBE 2020 - the latest edition of Darebin's annual literary magazine.
Watch on YouTube

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