The Headlight Review: Special Double Issue on "New Southern Writing"

As new forms of Southern writing continue to emerge, The Headlight Review seeks to shine a spotlight on the literary South and what it means to be a Southern writer today in a special double issue of the review to be published in 2026. 

This double issue invites work that attempts to answer or even challenge that question and explore the shape that Southern writing takes. We seek pieces that are nuanced, complex, and rich in tradition, showing meaningful relationships to the South not just as a static backdrop but as an important theme or subject holding weight, memory, and meaning. 

From the Gothic South to stories of the Southern person, we welcome the full spectrum of Southern writers who explore the South through the eyes of those who call it home, those who have left, and those who are remaking it. Through this issue, we aim to reflect, challenge, and expand the definitions of Southern writing and identity with work that captures the evolving landscapes, voices, and experiences of the South. 

Fiction Guidelines:

In fiction, the South might find expression in a place, an identity, a character, or a conflict. Stories might be set in the region or feature characters from the South who find themselves elsewhere. Writers might also consider a particularly Southern aesthetic or engagement with Southern traditions, history, and/or renaissance. We are open to short fiction, flash-fiction, and experimental fiction in all styles.

General Guidelines

The Headlight Review is deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity amongst the staff and its contributors. We value varying editorial experience levels and consider aspects of identity, including race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, veteran status, or disability status, a pivotal part of artistic work. We encourage submissions from marginalized and underrepresented communities and perspectives, including emergent creators of color and those from the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Please submit your manuscript with a short (1-3 sentences), third-person bio. For all submissions, please ensure that you do not include your name or other identifying information on your submission attachment. We reserve First North American electronic serial rights only; all rights revert back to the author upon publication. We ask that any reprints include the acknowledgment of first publication in The Headlight Review. THR does not offer compensation for regular publication.

Current students and recent graduates of Kennesaw State University, contest judges, and masthead members are not eligible to submit. KSU graduates become eligible to submit once 2 years have passed since graduation. 

Submissions for this special issue are open until Summer/Fall of 2026. The Headlight Review staff reads for our Fall/Winter issue in August – November and the Spring/Summer edition in February – May of each year. Please expect responses to occur within those reading windows. 

Simultaneous submissions are accepted when noted in your cover letter. 

Thank you for your interest in The Headlight Review!