Announcing Our Next Theme: Well Runs Dry
Harmattan Issue Submissions Open 12/15
Dear Hammies,
Introducing Our Next and Final Season Issue for Harmattan: Well Runs Dry
After the monsoon of Flood Memory, we turn our attention to a different kind of season, one defined by absence and dust. Harmattan is a West African season characterized by dry, dusty winds that blow from the Sahara between late November and mid-March. Humidity drops to extreme lows and the air becomes desiccating. Branches wither from the parched conditions.
In the Pacific Northwest we understand rain-soaked earth, overflowing rivers, and moss that grows on everything. But what happens when the well runs dry? What stories surface when abundance turns to scarcity, when what once flowed freely suddenly stops?
By exploring Harmattan, we reach beyond our rain-drenched corner of the world to connect with global seasons and stories. This issue invites you to write about drought. About what cracks open when moisture disappears. About thirst, longing, and the haunting beauty of barren landscapes. Issue 10 asks you to consider what remains when everything else has been stripped away.
Submissions Open December 15th
We’ll begin accepting poetry and short fiction for our Harmattan issue on December 15th, 2025. The submission window will remain open through January 31st, 2026, with publication planned for mid-March.
What dries up when the rains don’t come? What’s revealed in the dust? We’re eager to read your explorations of scarcity, endurance, and the stark beauty of empty vessels.
Pushcart Press Nominees Postmarked December 1
Your editors were delighted to submit one piece from each 2025 HamLit publication for 51 Pushcart Prize consideration:
“The Force of the Flood” by Ellie Pierson. Published on July 1, 2025, featured in Issue 09 Monsoon Season.
“Homunculus” by Siona Kalil. Published on November 2, 2025, featured in Special Issue ‘25 After Dark.
Hopefully it goes without saying–though we can’t seem to say it enough–that we are beyond proud of all of our contributors and hope to discover new ways to champion your creations in the coming years!
Your Editors, Rochelle, Joe, and David
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