 Patrons
of the Future
Mr John Scully
A Symbolist Patron since 2008
When did you start reading ABR?
It must have been at least ten years ago. I first saw ABR
in a library and was attracted to it from the start. I subscribe
to many other magazines, including the London Review of Books
and In Black and White, the magazine of the Collingwood
Football Club. And a very good publication it is too!
Why
does cultural philanthropy matter to you?
Very simply, because we have to support the artists, writers,
musicians, performers and anyone else who can entertain us and
enrich our experiences. I don’t claim to be a cultural philanthropist.
I am just someone who enjoys the work of writers, artists and
other talented people who create such wonderful and interesting
ideas and express them so elegantly and sometimes provocatively.
ABR’s Patron Scheme provides me with an opportunity
to do what I can to help Australian writers and writing. I have
enjoyed their work over the years, so I thought it only fair to
help them in this way.
Why
ABR in particular?
Because it’s Australian! I enjoy reading the work of
writers from around the world, but I am keen to see what is being
written and reviewed in Australian writing. ABR is always
a great read. It gives you a point of view about Australian writing
that the book reviews of newspapers and others don’t. My
only wish is that the reviews could be longer.
What
do you enjoy most about the magazine?
Well, all of it! I like Advances, which keeps me informed
about what’s happening in the writing business. The essays
are always interesting, though some are a little esoteric. That’s
a challenge that I don’t mind.
John Scully has worked in public relations for almost thirty years.
He works in a senior communications role at
VicRoads and, prior to that, worked as a public relations consultant.
He is a member of the public relations industry advisory boards
at both RMIT and Victoria University. John also lectures in public
relations. He was local government councillor for Malvern for
three years in the late 1980s.
If you wish to become a Patron, please contact the Editor, Peter
Rose, on (03) 9429 6700 or at abr@vicnet.net.au.
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We
have speculated in the past about literature’s relative slowness
to foster the sort of cultural philanthropy that is a mainstay of
art galleries, libraries, museums, symphony orchestras and theatre
companies. Why this has been the case may be of interest to literary
historians, but meanwhile ABR is keen to get on with the
task of generating private support for the cause of good writing,
independent critique and a lively intellectual climate.
Sponsors, advertisers, government ministries, the Australia Council
and, above all, our loyal subscribers keep ABR in print,
but our resources are miniscule by comparison with similar national
literary reviews in Europe and North America.
In order to pay our writers better, to attract new ones, to introduce
new features, to present additional and more lucrative prizes, and
to contemplate extracurricular publishing projects and events, we
need more money – simple as that. This support is crucial if
we are to maximise ABR’s undoubted potential.
Accordingly, we have much pleasure in announcing the ABR
Patrons’ Scheme, full details of which appear here. We encourage
our readers – indeed, all passionate believers in literary
values – to consider becoming founding ABR Patrons.
This discerning cohort will have the satisfaction of knowing that
its generosity will help to entrench and diversify the magazine
for serious readers and writers.
For information
about the Patrons' programme,
please contact click
here.
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