HEAT 9 HEAT 9 presents Meaghan Delahunt, winner of the HQ/Flamingo short story contest; Eva Sallis, winner of the Vogel/Australian award; David Malouf, winner of the Impac Prize; and Mandy Sayer, winner of the Vogel award, and author of Dreamtime Alice, showing what can be done with the forms of fiction, from folk and fairy tale to the political fable and the essay on manners. And what might be overlooked as fiction: a chapter from Alan Wearne's new verse novel, The Lovemakers; and chapter 8 of the only serial novel being published in Australia (and possibly the world) today, Anna Couani's The Western Horizon. In the essays, Eliot Weinberger explores the presence of "karmic traces" ­ the residues of memory in the way poetry moves us. Nicholas Jose discusses the Analects of Confucius. Peter Craven gives the background to the the unlikely niceness of the novelist Murray Bail. And in a series of "Xiaopin", a traditional Chinese essay form, Ouyang Yu casts his eye upon the Australian literary scene.

Garry Shead, from Dance Sequence, 1997-1998

There is new poetry from an international cast: Vicki Feaver, Jorie Graham, Kevin Hart, Anthony Lawrence, Tom Shapcott, Robert Kroetsch, Tim Thorne, Peter Skrzynecki and Chinese poetess Zhai Yongming And a really romantic dance in seven steps by Garry Shead. Then Desmond O'Grady criticises Peter Robb, Martin Harrison praises Robert Hass, and George Alexander introduces Domenico de Clario, amongst other reviews. HEAT is designed by Harry Williamson (cover) and Toni Hope-Caten (layout). It is edited by Ivor Indyk.