Fiction Potluck Finalists: January '26

We love Fiction Potluck because the submissions are so much fun! Here are January's Fiction Potluck Finalists for the Endings With a Twist challenge.

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

January Finalists

Thomas

Thomas currently lives in Hanoi, where costs are low and lived experiences are rich. The move has allowed him to devote more time to becoming a full-time writer, with occasional days off for Bia Hoi and rocket-fuel coffee. 

His fiction has been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and appears in several literary magazines, including Stand and TSS. 

Since 2023, he’s run a growing Reddit community (publishing his fiction solely) under the name originalloquat, which has gained 700+ members. 

Martin Terence Duffy

Martin Duffy holds awards from Dublin, Oxford, Harvard, and several other institutions including Diplomas in International Relations, Conflict Archaeology and Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge. He is a researcher at Cambridge University and can be contacted at mtd40@cam.ac.uk

Deidra Whitt Lovegren

Deidra Whitt Lovegren frequently competes in international writing contests and often loses.

Her published works include The Medicine Girl, The Medicine Woman, and 21 Conversations—a collection of dialogue-only short stories. The Lady of the Match, an anthology of her work translated into Arabic, debuted at the 2024 Cairo International Book Fair.

Throughout her career, Deidra has taught English and composition at every level, from preschool to college. She currently lives in Virginia with her husband of 30 years, their three sons, and two rescue cats.

Susmita Mukherjee

Susmita Mukherjee is an Indian author and former teacher at Army Public School, based in Kolkata, India. Her work explores the intersections of labour, resilience, and human tenderness. A trained classical vocalist with a background in IT education and hospitality, she writes with precision and empathy. Her work has appeared in Indian Literature (Sahitya Akademi), Intrepidus Ink, Sky Island Journal, BULL, Kitaab, Setu, Literally Stories, Literary Yard, and other journals. Her debut poetry collection, When the Earth Sang of Us: A Meditation on Love, Life and Nature, is available worldwide.

Marta Avilés O'Brien

Marta Avilés O'Brien is a middle school English teacher, wife, and mother to three young adults. She draws inspiration from her bilingual and bicultural upbringing, her love of words and storytelling, and especially the idea of writing the story she wants to read that hasn't been written yet.

Steven O'Hara

My name is Steven O'Hara and I'm a local writer from Boston.

Bud Pharo

Bud Pharo is a disabled veteran who writes short stories and flash fiction. He typically writes humorous sci-fi and fantasy pieces. However, he will, on occasion, write more serious pieces. His work has been featured in a number of literary journals and magazines, both online and in print.

Anastasia Podgornaya

My name is Anastasia Podgornaya and I am a senior at Germantown Academy. I have fostered a love for writing ever since I was young enough to beg my mom every Saturday morning to unlock the computer for me and help me navigate into Word. My passion only grew when my third-grade teacher convinced me to submit to a contest within my country, where I ended up placing first among kids my age. My zeal for writing has grown with me, as I encounter opportunities to better my writing, experiment with styles, and connect with like-minded creatives.

Belle Thatcher

Belle Thatcher is a millennial novelist with a passion for many genres, though elements of drama and romance consistently weave their way into her stories. Born and raised in the Netherlands, and having spent a short time living in Japan, she now calls the small town of Vught home. Here she lives with her husband-to-be and their corgi, who are her biggest fans. When she’s not immersed in her characters’ lives, she enjoys traveling, taking walks with her dog, and spontaneously redecorating rooms around the house.

Christina Yang

Christina is a student based in Australia who writes for fun.  Outside of writing, she enjoys baking, creating art, and getting lost in a good book.  

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Join us here on March 20 for Fiction Potluck Friday

to read the winning pieces!

About our Guest Judge: David Klotzkin

David Klotzkin lives with his family in the Southern Tier of New York State, in the United States, where he enjoys excellent weather and plentiful hills to bike upon. He loves making things up, but in real life, he is a professor of Electrical Engineering at Binghamton University. He has lowbrow tastes and no specific qualifications to be a writing contest judge, but he does delight in a good twist. ​