Hello! I’m Leah Jing McIntosh. I’m a critic, researcher, and the founding editor of Liminal. I have a Master’s in English Literature from University College London, and am currently completing my PhD at the University of Melbourne, where I’m researching the possibilities of diasporic autofiction.

I have co-edited two books, most recently the essay collection Against Disappearance: Essays on Memory in 2022, which won SPN’s ‘Book of the Year’. I recently launched the inaugural Liminal Festival, in partnership with The Wheeler Centre, and have established national literary prizes and mentorships, produced community events, and partnered with major arts organisations to advocate for a more equitable arts sector.

I host and participate in panels on books and writing; I’ve assessed arts grants for local, state and federal bodies, and have had the privilege of judging literary prizes such as the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, the Stella Prize, the Lord Mayor’s Creative Writing Awards, and the Peter Blazey Fellowship. I partake in industry advisory committees for organisations like the UNESCO City of Literature, RMIT, and the Emerging Writers Festival.

My work is underpinned by an anti-racist praxis, which means I sometimes get into trouble. Trouble aside, for my work on Liminal, I have been awarded the medal of the Order of Australia for my services to the arts, among other things.

Photograph / JM Tubera