Our first challenge of 2026 asked for writing that pushed back against “New Year, New Me” narratives, the pressure to optimize our time and our lives, and the idea that who we are right now is, somehow, not good enough. We’re pleased to announce our Cult of Productivity finalists, whose fiction and poems interrogate time, grief, and the price of beauty. Join us in celebrating these writers, and keep an eye out for their published pieces at the end of February!
First place
“Extra Minutes” by Cate McGowan
Second place
“Bury It Good and Deep” by G.R. Kramer
Third place
“The Regime” by Dom Birch
These winning pieces will publish at the end of February. Can’t wait? Check out the winners from previous challenges here.
