Harbour Works Literary Magazine
About
the Magazine

We started this because we believed the work was already here.

Harbour Works began out of frustration — tired of waiting for permission, tired of being told student work was "almost" good enough. We built this magazine on the belief that the threshold for extraordinary writing is not age or publication history, only the work itself.

We publish fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, visual art, photography, and hybrid work. We are drawn to writing that takes risks — formally, politically, emotionally — and to writers who understand the page is not a safe place.

Our editorial process is rigorous and fully blind. Minimum three editors per submission before any decision. We do not publish competent work. We publish alive work.

We are open to high school and university students. We believe the most vital creative work is happening in student hands right now — not after graduation, not once someone decides it's ready.

"We reject the idea that student work is a lesser category. The only question we ask of a piece is whether it is alive."

Founding Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief
Shae Chhokar
Managing Editor
Open Position
Fiction Editor
Open Position
Poetry Editor
Open Position
Essays Editor
Open Position
Art Director
Open Position
Photography Editor
Open Position
Hybrid / Experimental
Open Position
Copy Editor
Open Position
Web & Design
Open Position
Social & Outreach
Open Position
Events & Partnerships
Open Position

All positions are volunteer. Open to high school and university students. No experience required.

Join the team →

What We Believe

Three things we will not compromise on.

The Work Comes First

We don't publish because of who you are. We publish because of what you made. The submission process is fully anonymous. Editors are asked to read without knowing who wrote the piece.

Independence is Non-Negotiable

No institutional funding. No faculty oversight. No external sponsors. Every editorial decision is made by the students whose names appear on the masthead.

Student Writing is Serious Writing

We reject the premise that work made by students exists in a lesser category. The history of literature is full of writers who produced their most enduring work before anyone told them they were allowed to.

Frequently Asked Questions

High school and university students worldwide. There is no age minimum. If you are currently enrolled as a student, you are eligible.
Yes, and we actively encourage it. If a piece has appeared elsewhere and you believe it belongs in Harbour Works, send it to us.
Fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, visual art, photography, and hybrid/experimental work. If your piece doesn't fit a category, submit it anyway.
4–6 weeks from the close of the submission window. We respond to every submission.
No. There will never be a submission fee.
Yes. Up to three pieces per submission window, each submitted as a separate form.
Submit Your Work → Join the Team →