SHARK REEF, a locally produced online literary magazine, has published its last issue under the aegis of the Lopez Writers Guild with submissions only from San Juan County residents.

That issue, exclusively featuring poetry by Maya Borhani, Jill McCabe Johnson, Elizabeth Landrum, Kay Mullen, Kim Secunda and Paul Walsh, is online now at www.sharkreef.org. Featured visual artist is Susan Slapin.

Launched in June of 2001 to give voice to emerging as well as established writers of the San Juan Islands of Washington state, SHARK REEF will now offer the same opportunity to all serious writers committed to producing original writing of high quality – regardless of where they live. And, on the eve of its 10th anniversary, SHARK REEF also announces its new partnership with Heron Moon Press, starting with the summer 2011 issue.

“SHARK REEF will be 10 years old in June,” said editor Lorna Reese, “an anniversary which inspires stopping to take stock: Are we doing what we set out to do, which is 1) to give voice to the serious writers who make a true commitment to produce original writing of high quality and 2) to publish work about the rich experiences of the common man and woman, whether fiction, memoir, drama or poetry?”

Since SHARK REEF’s debut, the publishing world has changed, notes Iris Graville, founder of Heron Moon Press.

“Now books can be downloaded from the Internet and listened to on iPods; small, independent presses are publishing high-quality work; online publications are proliferating and being widely read,” Graville said.

Adds Reese, “During that time, many writers featured in SHARK REEF have gone on to publish books, receive awards and garner outstanding reviews. When our loosely organized Lopez Writers Guild, which founded SHARK REEF, disbanded, it made sense to partner with a small, independent press and persist in our efforts to give serious writers a place to see their work published.”

Heron Moon Press was founded in 2008 by Graville (a SHARK REEF writer) to self-publish her first book, “Hands at Work – Portraits and Profiles of People Who Work with Their Hands.”

SHARK REEF will continue to be edited by Reese and a guest co-editor for each issue, but publication dates also have changed.

“We’ll publish summer and winter issues with March 31 and September 31 submission deadlines,” says Reese, “and we’re hoping writers from the San Juans will continue to submit.”

Archival issues will still be stored on the website, and readers will be able to search easily for favorite writers without having to open every past issue. For more information, contact Lorna Reese at editor@sharkreef.org.