Quadrant is a conservativeJohn Chiddick (2017): Quadrant: The Evolution of an Australian Conservative Journal, in: G. Scott-Smith, C. Lerg (eds): Campaigning Culture and the Global Cold War. Palgrave Macmillan, London 2017. Australian literary, cultural, and political journal, which publishes both online and printed editions. , Quadrant mainly publishes commentary, essays and opinion pieces on cultural, political, and historical issues, although it also reviews literature and publishes poetry and fiction in the print edition. Its editorial line is self-described "bias towards cultural freedom, anti-totalitarianism and classical liberalism".

History The magazine was founded in Sydney in 1956 by Richard Krygier, a Polish-Jewish refugee who had been active in social-democrat politics in Europe, and James McAuley, a Catholic poet known for Ern Malley, an anti-modernist hoax. It was established in an attempt to counter the increasingly strong national and international influence of the highly successful literary magazine Meanjin, which continues to be Australia's leading literary journal. It was originally an initiative of the Australian Committee for Cultural Freedom, the Australian arm of the Congress for Cultural Freedom, an anti-communist advocacy group funded by the CIA. The name Quadrant was suggested by the publisher Alec Bolton, husband of the poet Rosemary Dobson; she had declined to join the editorial board of Quadrant, not wanting to be seen as "part of the right".Cassandra Pybus, The Devil and James McAuley, 1999, Part 7: 'The Wars of Love', p. 152

Quadrant has had many notable contributors, including Les Murray, who was its literary editor from 1990 to 2019,Alexander, Peter F. Les Murray: a Life in Progress. Oxford University Press UK, 2000 Peter Ryan, who wrote a column from 1994 to 2015, Heinz Arndt, Sir Garfield Barwick, Frank Brennan, Ian Callinan, Hal Colebatch, Peter Coleman, Sir Zelman Cowen, Anthony Daniels, Joe Dolce, David Flint, Lord Harris of High Cross, Paul Hasluck, Dyson Heydon, Sidney Hook, A. D. Hope, Barry Humphries, Clive James, John Kerr, Michael Kirby, Frank Knopfelmacher, Peter Kocan, Christopher Koch, Andrew Lansdown, John Latham, Douglas Murray, Patrick O'Brien, Sharon Olds, George Pell, Pierre Ryckmans, Roger Sandall, Roger Scruton, Clement Semmler, Greg Sheridan, James Spigelman, Sir Ninian Stephen, Tom Switzer, and Alexander Voltz, as well as several Labor and Liberal political figures, including Bob Hawke, John Howard, Tony Abbott, Mark Latham, and John Wheeldon. After the publication of the 1997 Bringing Them Home report about the Stolen Generations, Quadrant published a number of articles critical of the report's methodology and conclusions. Professor Robert Manne, who edited the magazine from 1990 to 1997, claimed that the Howard government's response to Bringing Them Home was influenced by and "collusive with" Quadrants position.Robert Manne. (April 2001). "In Denial: the Stolen Generations and the Right", Quarterly Essay 1.

, commentators describe the magazine as having a strong right-wing bias and even engaging in extremism. In the week following the Manchester Arena bombing, Quadrants online editor Roger Franklin wrote an article titled "The Manchester Bomber's ABC Pals",, 23 May 2017 referring to the Q&A TV program. In it he wrote: "Had there been a shred of justice, that blast would have detonated in an Ultimo TV studio [later amended to, 'What if that blast had detonated in an Ultimo TV studio?'] ... none of the panel’s likely casualties would have represented the slightest reduction in humanity’s intelligence, decency, empathy or honesty." ABC Managing director Michelle Guthrie called for the article to "be removed and apologised for".Response from ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie to Quadrant editors, ABC, 24 May 2017 Quadrant editor-in-chief Keith Windschuttle acknowledged that the article was "intemperate" and "a serious error of judgment" and apologised for the offence it had caused. The article was removed from the website.

Stance and values In October 1992, Dame Leonie Kramer, then the chairman of the magazine's board of directors, discussed the "deep values" of Quadrant: "the intrinsic value of cultural and intellectual freedom and of inquiry ..." "cultural and intellectual freedoms, indeed negative liberties generally, depend upon an abundance of autonomous institutions and an open society ..." "political democracy ... support of particular democratic institutions, and a culture that accepts peaceful and democratic modes of government and change of government ..." "liberal democracy, that is democracy that respects individual liberty ... insists that government be limited: by other holders of political and economic resources, by legally protected private property, by free media, and most of all by the rule of law, that is the restraint and channelling of power by law ..." "the virtues, and commonly the wisdom, borne by traditions in social and moral life ... It has not pretended that traditions have all the answers or should be treated with uncritical reverence ... It has, however, recommended that ... long established moral and social practices be treated with respect and caution." "an economic order in which markets are allowed to work - within the rule of law (and the framework of property rights) - as sources of information, as ingredients and supporters of liberty and as facilitators of competitive private enterprise and individual choice ..."Dame Leonie Kramer. (October 1992). "The Values of Quadrant", in:Quadrant, No. 290, XXXVI (10), p. 2.

In 2007, Quadrants mission was described by its editor as:

In March 2008, the magazine was describing itself as sceptical of "unthinking leftism, or political correctness, and its 'smelly little orthodoxies. Regular contributors often support conspiracy theories such as that COVID-19 has a mild impact and that global warming is a hoax, and the 2020 US election was fraudulent. , the magazine describes itself as "Australia's most open minded publication", while its home page includes articles critical of climate scientists, the ABC, and "the Left's triumphal anti-clericalism".

Hoax In January 2009, Quadrant unknowingly published a hoax article. Its author, writer, editor and activist Katherine Wilson, stated that she aimed to show that the magazine and editor Keith Windschuttle had right-wing politics bias. Wilson claimed Windschuttle and Quadrant would publish an inaccurate article and not check its footnotes or authenticity if it met his preconceptions. Using the pseudonym "biotechnologist Dr Sharon Gould", Wilson submitted an article claiming that CSIRO had planned to produce food crops engineered with human genes.

Editors Order Period Editor Background / comments1.1956–1967James McAuleyCatholic poet2.1964–1966Donald HorneWriter3.1967–1988Peter ColemanWriter, journalist, and former New South Wales and Federal Liberal politician4.1988–1989Roger SandallWriter, anthropologist, Senior Lecturer at University of Sydney5.1990–1997Robert ManneLecturer at La Trobe University; resigned after repeated disputes with the magazine's editorial board6.1997–2007Paddy McGuinnessJournalist and self-described contrarian7.2008–2015Keith WindschuttleWriter and historian8.2015–2017John O'Sullivan"Notes from the editor", Quadrant, March 2017, p. 4.Political advisor and editor9.2017–2024Keith WindschuttleWriter and historian10.2024–Rebecca WeisserTony Abbott, "Dear Quadrant reader", Quadrant, March 2024, p. 4.Journalist

Management structure Editorial staff Editor, Quadrant magazine: Rebecca Weisser Editor, International, Quadrant magazine: John O'Sullivan Editor, Quadrant Online: Roger Franklin Literary Editor: Barry Spurr"Barry Spurr appointed Quadrant's new Literary Editor", Quadrant, March 2019, p. 3. Music Editor: Alexander Voltz Deputy Editor: George Thomas

See also List of literary magazines Encounter (UK) The Dorchester Review (Canada)

References

External links

CIA as Culture Vultures, an essay by Cassandra Pybus, Jacket Magazine, No. 12, July 2000, as an extract from her non-fictional account of the life of James McAuley Quadrant's 50th anniversary (transcript) - interviews with Martin Krygier (former Quadrant Director and son of founder), Dame Leonie Kramer AC DBE (former Quadrant Chair), and Paddy McGuinness, at ABC Radio National Counterpoint, 2006 Address to the Quadrant Magazine 50th Anniversary Dinner by John Howard, 2006