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Varsha Venkatesh

@varshawrites86.bsky.social
168 followers 115 following 150 posts

Writer. Words in: Exposition Review, Moss Puppy Magazine, Five Minute Lit, and others

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Reposted by Varsha Venkatesh
Exposition Review @expositionreview.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Vol. IX: “POP!” is the intersection of tradition and trend, with moments that will surprise you, inspire you to think outside of your bubble, or maybe even reference some of your favorite songs. Check out the issue here: tinyurl.com/ExpoV9POP.
tinyurl.com
Vol. IX: "POP!" - Exposition Review
Vol. IX: “POP!” is the intersection of tradition and trend. Whether satirizing an overused metaphor in poetry or confronting violence in Gaza, these pieces are made relevant both by their immediacy an...
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Glad I signed up for a @mattkendrick.bsky.social workshop cuz I think I’d forgotten how to do flash after a longish break. Blew away some cobwebs 😆
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
I detest these AI checkers/detectors or whatever. Everything is AI cause it has Oxford commas or “genuinely” or something.
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
I’ve returned to the world of the living after writing and editing a whole novel — actually two — this past year. I’m so tired, but in a good way. Looking forward to (hopefully) publishing flash again (stop rejecting my stuff!)
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The Welkin Press @welkinpress.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
SECOND PLACE in the Welkin Writing Prize 2026, "What Stays Behind" by Muntasir Salman. A powerhouse of a micro with so much buried inside its one hundred words: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
What Stays Behind | MattKendrick.co.uk
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
I can never run a comp because this was freaking impossible. I flipped a coin for a couple I’m not gonna lie 😆
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
“Because ojha exorcise, poke her with hot needle, but Gopa-Devi quiet, no cry. Because no one should look at her.” I love the use of language here and the way it conveys a sense of place and pathos.
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
I’ve always wanted to write a forwards-backwards story like this but never quite managed it. This one does it so well.
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
“Eventually, the modifier slipped into parentheses—Tom (cat) stopped eating regularly, Tom (man) started scratching himself, Tom (cat) spent too long in the bathroom—before it was dropped altogether” This story by @emilyrinkema.bsky.social is so clever!
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
“Running too fast & standing too close. Friendly masks & white candy vans” This piece by @onmytangent.bsky.social is so inventive.
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The Welkin Press @welkinpress.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Today's shortlisted story is "That Day" by Shofiqure Rahman. A powerful exploration of refugee life: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
That Day | MattKendrick.co.uk
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The Welkin Press @welkinpress.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Today's shortlisted story is "weak beans" by Barnaby Wick. A piece which effectively covers so much narrative in such such an original tone of voice: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
weak beans | MattKendrick.co.uk
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Me already feeling a bit blue… and picked the wrong time to read this 😭 Anyway, this is a very poignant tale by Jo Withers. You might cry, be warned.
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Nina Miller @ninamiller.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
My book review of “Mother Karma” by Sumitra Singam @pleomorphic2.bsky.social is up @thehooghlyreview.bsky.social Published by @publishedbyjake.bsky.social thehooghlyreview.com/category/asa...
thehooghlyreview.com
ASAP Corner – THE HOOGHLY REVIEW
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The Welkin Press @welkinpress.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Today's shortlisted story is "John" by Petra Marteleur. A wonderful slice of weird and whimsical: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
John | MattKendrick.co.uk
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
“how I tried to shed my innermost parts, coiled heavy and shameful” Vivid and powerful writing by @cake-girl.bsky.social in this amazing piece
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
“Real drifted toward curious, and curious pressed its forehead to the window…” oh, I couldn’t predict where this was going at all. What a fantastic story.
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The Welkin Press @welkinpress.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Today's shortlisted story is "On the longest night of the darkest year" by @melissafitz.bsky.social. Such an atmospheric piece: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
On the longest night of the darkest year | MattKendrick.co.uk
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The Welkin Press @welkinpress.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Today's shortlisted story is "Things My Brother Explains With Absolute Authority" by J.M.C. Kane. Such a deep and philosophical piece. www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
Things My Brother Explains With Absolute Authority | MattKendrick.co.uk
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Late to this fantastic story by @tacilim.bsky.social. Probably for the best cuz I’m a little upset about the fate of Sugar ball 😔
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
I confess I had to look up if there was a third Hemsworth brother (sorry, Luke), but commiserations to the good man. This is a great story that made me smile. Now why can’t I hallucinate a semi-hot celeb to fix my existential crises?
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T.L. Tomljanovic @tomljanovic.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Eeek! I’ve got a drabble up on Rat Bag Lit. This story started out as CNF in the @offtopicpublishing.bsky.social Writers conference and evolved from there.
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Literary Namjooning | Submissions Open! @lit-namjooning.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Please join us in congratulating our Best Small Fictions 2026 nominees: @saipradhan.bsky.social, @francinewitte.bsky.social, @laurabesley.bsky.social @writesofkathryn.bsky.social and @happilander.bsky.social 😍 Read their stories here: literarynamjooning.wixsite.com/litnam/proje... #namjooning
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The Welkin Press @welkinpress.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
DRUM ROLL!!!! 🥁🥁🥁 It gives me great pleasure to announce the SPARKLING longlist for the Welkin Writing Prize 2026. Congratulations to all the writers on this list. And commiserations to everyone else. The standard was incredibly high: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...
mattkendrick.co.uk
Welkin News | MattKendrick.co.uk
A writing prize open to all forms of narrative prose, be that flash fiction, short-short, vignette, haibun, hermit crab, prose poem or work that sits outside such labels.
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Flash Frog @flashfrog.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
🚨BIG NEWS!!!!🚨 We are so beyond excited and honored to announce that the wonderful and talented @emilyrinkema.bsky.social is joining the Flash Frog family! 🐸💙
Blue flyer announcing Emily Rinkema as the new Assistant Editor. Author headshot and bio included.
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Matt Kendrick @mattkendrick.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
I've been in a funk recently, really worried about the weeks / months ahead; so today, I sent out a newsletter that felt quite vulnerable, & the way the writing community have jumped to my support has as always far exceeded anything I deserve ❤️❤️❤️ prattlefogandgravelrap.substack.com/p/starting-t...
prattlefogandgravelrap.substack.com
Starting the year from the bottom of the slope
I like to think I’m quite a positive person, and the start of the year, for me, usually feels like it amplifies that sense of positivity through its inherent newness, the multiple possibilities lying ...
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Sumitra Singam @pleomorphic2.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Friends, if you have the means to, please do support @mattkendrick.bsky.social by using his (amazing) editing, mentoring or teaching skills or by tipping his kofi. He’s a gem, and he needs our support at the moment prattlefogandgravelrap.substack.com?utm_campaign...
prattlefogandgravelrap.substack.com
Prattlefog & Gravelrap | Matt Kendrick | Substack
A monthly article series about the elements of short fiction: ideas for rocket-boosting your writing craft, reading recommendations, and other writing-related ramblings. Click to read Prattlefog & Gra...
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Accidentally “Pollocked” a painting trying to revive my dried up Posca markers 🤣
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SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Help us welcome our 2026 Emerging Writer Fellows! We're so excited to work with these five talented writers for the next six months! www.smokelong.com/meet-the-202...
smokelong.com
Meet the 2026 SmokeLong Quarterly Emerging Writer Fellows! - SmokeLong Quarterly
This year from January to June we are thrilled to provide The SmokeLong Emerging Writer Fellowship to five talented writers. Each of these writers will receive feedback from three senior SmokeLong edi...
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
One, I’ve always wanted a cat (allergic🥲); if I had a cat, I’d want it to judge me in a Scottish accent. Love this funny and poignant story from @emilyrinkema.bsky.social
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The Welkin Press @welkinpress.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
That's it folks!!!! Entries are now closed for another year! An INCREDIBLE 1277 (!!!) entries have been received. A record. I have some tough choices ahead. The longlist should hopefully be coming your way on the 8th January. That's next Thursday! Good luck!
media.tenor.com
a red circle with the words that 's all folks written in white
Alt: In red circle, the words "That's all Folks!" appear
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Very true. I need to be transported to a certain emotional state to be able to write and music does it better than anything else.
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Pam Makin (she/her) @pamthepoet.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
I have regained access to Substack and so I posted my first whatever it is called (stack?) about how music inspires me. It’s not all about Bowie (surprisingly) and there is a new poem included as a bonus. Check it out if you’re interested. Cheers
pamthepoet.substack.com
Mesmerise
The subtle power of music
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Patricia Q. Bidar @patriciaqbidar.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
"...you just want that storm to break, need to feel that thunder in your bones even if lightning gotta strike you first, you just gotta know — can I beat that devil?" Whooooo if it isn't @mynachang.bsky.social in @brettpribble.bsky.social 's Ghost Parachute!
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Exposition Review @expositionreview.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
Thrilled to see @varshawrites86.bsky.social’s piece in this list! Thank you, @pleomorphic2.bsky.social & @mattkendrick.bsky.social for the #ExpoContributor spotlight!
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
I’ve been gone from here and submitting work in general for a while. I’ve still been writing ofc. And reading all your stories but kinda lost the spoons to interact cuz of a series of unexpected events. I’ve missed everyone :( But I’m back now.
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
“…sweat kept trickling down my collarbone, forming a tributary somewhere at the bottom of my bra. LOW-LYING AREAS WILL FLOOD FIRST.” Love the sprinkling of humour throughout this piece.
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
I’m back after a long break that I took for no particular reason…
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
Experimenting with posca markers, so I was drawing soap bubbles for fun, and I think I unintentionally Van-Goghed a section of this
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
Been in a somewhat low mood lately and AWOL from social media. I’m ok now, but how do I catch up on all the great stories I’ve missed in the meantime?
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
“The more I stared at the idea, the stronger and more fanciful it became.” — I love how this micro juxtaposes “us” and “I.” Such a subtle meditation on loss of autonomy and identity in a relationship.
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
“There is a new mouth on my arm. I move its lips and it says, “Sad. Sad. Bad. Sad. Bad. Mad.” If scars could talk, they’d tell you where you were going. I loved the air of apprehension in this story — fearing the inevitable. What a ride (and ending), Sumitra.
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 29/06/2025
Thrilled to be on the longlist! Thank you Expo Team for all you’ve done for this piece. ♥️ Congrats to everyone on the longlist and Top 50.
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
“I told myself it was temporary. I would soon be back on my own two feet.” - I told myself this too. That it would pass, and I could have a “normal”-ish existence again. It didn’t happen - I used to think of it as a lost decade, of waiting, but now I think of it as time that I needed.
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
“But in the long nights she will listen to the sad wailing of the freight train and she will dream on and on” - two journeys, one physical, one emotional, in this gorgeous story “She Sleeps to the Sound of the Night Train” by @bronwengriffiths.bsky.social
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Not to sound too “Gone Girl”-ish, but sometimes I think I want to poke at Sumitra’s brain and find out how she comes up with the stories she does… Anyway, this one is brilliant. A must read.
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
This hits hard, especially if you were a version of “Marissa” yourself. Ah, the guilt of making your mother’s life miserable because you can’t understand what’s going on with you or how the world works.
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
“One big bang can start a universe” - I can already tell this story will stay with me a while. The universe of possibilities as described by @jenwithwords.bsky.social.
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 15/06/2025
Until we remember Keith Morrison, his baritone warning, it’s always the friend, the boyfriend, the husband, it’s always someone you know.” The oppressive, omnipresent fear as described by @kelliborges2.bsky.social
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Varsha Venkatesh @varshawrites86.bsky.social · 15/06/2025
“All she knows is that she loves being out here on the road, the recklessness of it.” Love the tension and inner conflict that simmers just beneath the surface in this story by @bronwengriffiths.bsky.social in #nffd25.
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