Editor’s Letter.

LET’S talk about words. The crafting of them and the impact of them. How they have the power to transport and make the reader feel something.

In February, I moderated a forum for The Walkley Foundation on travel writing. We talked at length about the clichés of the craft. The audience seemed interested to discover that here at Qantas magazine, we have a list of words that do not – under any circumstances – creep into the pages.

Some of my pet hates? “Nice” tops the list simply because it’s such a bland and meaningless word. We don’t go anywhere near “jaw-dropping” views, “awesome” experiences or “breathtaking” vistas. We never get “up close and personal” with animals. We don’t “gift” anything to anyone and we don’t like the term “foodies”. “Classy”? It’s just not classy.

We talk a lot about words in our workplace and regularly share long-form pieces that have resonated with us. The features team spends much of its time working with writers on articles that are not only beautifully written but also make the reader feel as if they’re walking alongside the storyteller.

Of course, we also feature useful stories that are both informative and entertaining. (To wit: Larissa Dubecki’s terrific wrap-up of Australia’s best bars on page 142.)

Every feature in this magazine undergoes a rigorous editing process. Two editors go through the copy – often sending it back to the writer with queries – before the story is passed on to our crack team of subeditors, who painstakingly check every fact and correct any grammatical errors. I then read each story at least three times before publication.

Do we get things wrong? Sometimes. But it’s not for a lack of dedication to quality. We’re passionate about every word in this magazine. And we hope it shows.

Have a nice wonderful month. Kirsten Galliott Editor-in-Chief