Submissions open for Working the Land, Working the Sea

To mark its fiftieth anniversary in 2026, Empty Bowl Press will publish a new edition of Working the Woods, Working the Sea, first published in 1986, with a second edition in 2008. This fiftieth-anniversary edition, Working the Land, Working the Sea, will explore and celebrate traditional foodways and livelihoods in farming, forestry, ranching, and marine trades in the Cascadia bioregion. We’re thrilled to announce our guest editors for the collection are Jessica Gigot, author of A Little Bit of Land and Feeding Hour, and Tele Aadsen, author of What Water Holds.

We’re looking for submissions from those who tend, gather, farm, fish, ranch, research, or work in managed landscapes, restoration, or in a variety of occupations at sea. Please submit up to three poems (no more than five pages total) or one essay of up to 1,500 words via Submittable. (You’ll find more specific instructions there). Submission deadline is September 1, 2025. Work can be previously published; please include an acknowledgment of where it first appeared with your submission. Those whose work is accepted will be notified in early 2026 and will receive a complimentary copy of the collection and a 50% contributor’s discount on further orders. The collection will be released in late summer/early fall as part of the fiftieth-anniversary celebration with a reading in the Port Townsend area and other readings to follow. The submission fee is $10; please contact us at editor@emptybowl.org if this presents a hardship.

We look forward to reading your submissions.

If you’re new to Submittable, you can find more information on setting up your account here. How do I Submit? For questions about your submission status, or other questions pertaining to Submittable, check out Common Questions for Submitters.

Banner photo: Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park, WA, 1977, photograph by Steven R. Johnson