HNY 2026!

Hola folks! Is it too late to wish people a Happy New Year? It is? Too late, I’ve done it already!

You may think I’ve appeared out of the blue, and indeed it is true (rhyme not intended!). The second half of the year has been busy with familial obligations, but that doesn’t mean I’ve slacked on the writing front.

Since we last spoke, or rather, since I last put up a post and you grudgingly read it, I’ve had 7 stories accepted for publication! 4 of these are scheduled to be published this year, so that’s already a good start even before 2025 ended!

And to ensure a great start to 2026, one of my stories was nominated to Best Small Fictions! Check out my story Self/ Other in Flash the Court! Many thanks to the editor Court Harler for this great honour!

In my last post I’d mentioned a story scheduled for publication in Flash Fiction Magazine. Well, here it is – The Thinker!

Next, we come to the most prestigious Bath Flash Fiction Awards. Every time their contest rolls around, I think of sending in my 300-word masterpieces, and often I do conjure up something in time, but I never expect anything to come of it.

This time, however, a story with the same title as mine (Immersion) made it to the longlist.

I had my hopes up, but when they declared the final list of winners, it came crashing back down. I was so curious as to what the other ‘Immersion’ was about! I moaned, I gobbled chocolate, I ranted to my good friend Maggie, and then…I got the offer of publication from Bath Flash Fiction Award! It was indeed my story and this was the most pleasant ‘pleasant surprise’ I’ve ever received! Earlier they’d posted that they had already contacted the longlisted authors but I hadn’t received any such mail so I assumed it wasn’t my story!
But ‘Immersion’ went all the way to the 31st Award Short List | Bath Flash Fiction Award, which makes it all the more sweet!

I also received acceptances from 3 other fantastic literary journals – NUNUM, SAND Journal, and 100-Foot-Crow. I’ve worked with the fabulous editors to fine-tune the respective stories as much as possible, and they are scheduled for publication in the next few months.

The last story I had accepted in 2025 was The Garbageman and the Resident, published in Porch Lit Mag.

Overall, I ended the year with a record-breaking 20 acceptances, which is a first for me! And it was special more so because of the stellar journals I managed to break into. I do write for my enjoyment, but it’s also soothing to receive the recognition. It supplies the much-needed boost when a host of rejections lands in the inbox.

I will continue to share links to my stories as and when they get published.

Meanwhile, what have you been up to? What are you hopes and dreams for the new year? Do share in the comments below!