At Headway Quarterly, we believe that writing is nonlinear. We believe that writing requires revisitation, revision, and reimagining. Unlike most literary magazines that present submissions as untouchable artifacts, we want to showcase the recursive process of writing—not simply the product.
We ask all of our contributors to meditate on the creation of the piece we publish. This reflection is presented alongside the “finished” submission, both unveiling each author’s unique writing process and bringing the author’s voice into the interpretation of their writing. We want to push back against the traditional literary magazine structure and create a space for writers to participate in conversations about their writing—answering (or at least asking) questions about process, drafting, revision, authorial voice, and medium. We encourage writers not to seek perfection, but simply to make headway in their own writing process.
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The three co-founders—Anna Pedersen (Portland, OR), Hannah Walhout (Brooklyn, NY), and Ben Hackenberger (Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia)—met while teaching in the writing program at NYU Abu Dhabi. The project grew out of their shared interest in writing pedagogy and composition theory. They continue to write and edit in their respective cities.
Grants and Awards
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2020 NYSCA NYTAP Regrant
2019 CLMP Firecracker Award Finalist in the category of Best Debut Magazine
Editors
Benjamin Hackenberger
Anna Pedersen
Hannah Walhout
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Reader
Hannah Pinkham
Guest Readers
Cecilia Kennedy
Cecilia Kennedy studied Spanish literature, culture, and language at the Ohio State University. In Ohio, she taught writing and literature courses in English and Spanish for over 20 years. She has served as a reviewer for English composition textbooks and, most recently, she served a term as an inaugural editor for an international peer-reviewed journal. Currently, she lives in the Greater Seattle area, where she works online as a lead writing teacher/tutor for an education publishing company. Since 2017, over 27 of her short stories have appeared in literary journals, magazines, and anthologies online and in print. The Places We Haunt is her first book, which is a collection of short stories, published by Potter’s Grove Publishing. Her story, “The Fish in the Bowl Grows a Bubble” won Headway Quarterly’s First Semiannual Themed Writing Contest in 2018.
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Simbiat Odunuga
Simbiat Odunuga is a poet and fiction writer. A student of English at the University of Ibadan, she's passionate about mental health and environmental sustainability. She's the current Assistant Director of The Muslim Write, a platform dedicated to promoting Islamic literature. She also doubles as a contributor to the page and some of her works can be found there. Her other works can be found on her blog, littlebloomingthoughts.wordpress.com, or on her IG page, @binttaajudeen.
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Maria S. Picone​
Maria S. Picone (she/her/hers) writes, paints, and teaches from her home in South Carolina. Her writing has been published in Able Muse, Kissing Dynamite, and Mineral, among others. A Korean adoptee, Maria often explores themes of identity, exile, and social issues facing Asian Americans. She received an MFA in fiction from Goddard College and holds degrees in philosophy and political science. You can find more on her website, mariaspicone.com, or Twitter @mspicone.
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Liz Tresidder
Hailing from the United Kingdom, Liz Tresidder is a writer and reader for presses and competitions across the pond. A fan of the strange and haunting, Liz enjoys any work that shows her a good time, particularly if it disrupts form to do so. With a day job working in communications for film and television, Liz also writes fiction in her free time; she’s been shortlisted for the Bristol Short Story Prize and is currently working on her debut novel. Find her on Twitter @liztresidder.
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Past Guest Readers
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Samantha Neugebauer
Originally from Philadelphia, Samantha Neugebauer is a writer living in the United Arab Emirates. She is an Instructor at NYU Abu Dhabi, Editor for the Painted Bride Quarterly, contributor to the podcast "Slush Pile," and staff writer for Postscript Magazine. In 2019, the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) awarded her 2nd place in their quadrennial Creativity Award in Literature for her short story “Transit عبر الØياة," which she co-wrote with poet Amna Alharmoodi. Connect with her: samanthaneugebauer.com.