Fiction Potluck Finalists: April '26

We love Fiction Potluck because the submissions are so much fun! Here are April's Fiction Potluck Finalists for the body snatchers challenge.

Look for the Finalist badge across social media to connect with these authors.

April Finalists

Claire Beaver

Claire Beaver is a multidisciplinary writer with fiction and poetry appearing in Last Leaves Magazine, sans. press, and more. Her debut poetry chapbook, bones, ashes, fire, was released from Bottlecap Press. She is currently working on a PhD in creative writing at Binghamton University, and she lives in New York with her partner, her dog, and her bearded dragon.

Joe Del Castillo

Joe Del Castillo hails from Astoria, Queens and now lives on Long Island, New York. He is a member of the Long Island Writers Guild. His short stories have been published in New Pop Lit, Loch Raven Review, Empyrean, Home Planet News, October Hill, Macrame Literary Journal and Luminaura.

Meagan Fisher

Meagan Fisher is a speculative fiction writer from Upstate South Carolina, writing to explore time, space, death, and the human condition.

G. X. Flores

G. X. Flores (he/him) is an academic librarian from Texas who grew up on the US-Mexico border. As both reader and writer, Flores is interested in stories that explore how the rational deal with the irrational, the way one's culture and upbringing informs their understanding of outrageous circumstance and the paradox of anthropocentricism in a vast and unknowable universe.

Anand Mohan Gupta

Anand Mohan Gupta is an author from Raipur, India. His stories explore silence and the small decisions that shape a life, often following figures who endure history's encroachment. Recently named a winner of the Wisden Writing Competition, his work is forthcoming in the 2026 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack and ANMLY.

Aneisha Gupta

Aneisha Gupta is a Public Health Honors student at The University of Texas at Austin pursuing interests in medicine, health communication, and community-centered healthcare. Her writing often explores the intersection of cultural identity, patient experience, and belonging through reflective and character-driven narratives. She is involved in undergraduate research, clinical volunteering, and public health outreach initiatives focused on healthcare accessibility and education.

Kylie Jordinelli

Kylie Jordinelli is a writer based in Alaska. She holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in English and psychology.

Jade Josie

Jade Josie is a speculative writer from Cleveland, Ohio. Soon she is beginning her MFA in fiction writing at Bowling Green State University. She enjoys writing strong, conflicted female characters and stories that flip expectation. When not writing, she is reading any fantasy novel that falls between Robin Hobb and Joe Abercrombie.

Raji Reda

Raji Reda is a Franco-Moroccan writer based in Casablanca. His short fiction has appeared in 3Elements Literary Review (Issues 50 and 51).

Niya Aliyah Rodriguez

Niya Aliyah Rodriguez is a Columbia College Chicago graduate and is entering their work into journals or contests to send it out into the world. They mainly specialize in fiction and poetry. Their works are usually based on personal experiences or exploring character archetypes and psychology. This piece has not been entered into any other journals/magazines.

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Join us here on June 19 for Fiction Potluck Friday

to read the winning pieces!

About our guest judge:

​Elmira Olson has lived her whole life on the Canadian prairies; the first half on a farm in Saskatchewan, and the second half in Edmonton, Alberta. The past several years have been occupied with entering as many writing competitions as she can fit into her schedule. She loves doing anything creative—writing, painting, arts and crafts, with varying degrees of ability.