top of page

Announcing our 2026 PhotoFinish Winner and Finalists!

ihlrmail
Sep 29
2 min read
A man in a white button down shirt and round, sky blue glasses sits on a grey couch and smiles at the camera. Next to him is a red pillow in the shape of a cat's face and a small Totoro figurine


We are proud to congratulate the winner and finalists of our 2026 PhotoFinish Contest!


This year's winner is Ruben Borg, whose poem "Satellite" will be featured alongside the work of our nine other finalists in the electronic publication of the 2026 PhotoFinish issue, which will go live on ISSUU this New Year's Eve at midnight. The issue is published in full color with artwork for each manuscript and can be read completely for free online.


Ruben Borg teaches literature at the Hebrew University. He has published books and essays on James Joyce, Flann O'Brien, Samuel Beckett, and early modernist film. His poetry explores passivity, materiality, and domestic life.


On the genesis of his winning poem, Ruben writes, "What struck me first about the photo was the blade, and the potential for drama and violence hidden in an object I use every day. I had been working on the prompt all morning and had collected a few false starts. I got up to make lunch and was chopping zucchini (to make the pasta Stanley Tucci made famous) when the line, 'Thinking about all the people I want to hurt," popped into my head. The line didn't survive, but something about it struck me as comic and conciliatory. Somewhere along the way the poem became about the speaker embracing their own fragility."


Congratulations, Ruben! The nine finalists whose wonderful work will be joining Ruben's in the 2026 PhotoFinish Issue are:


  • Soledad Caballero, Poetry, "There Is Sweetness Here"

  • Monica Fields, Poetry, "Cut"

  • Sandie Friedman, Fiction, "Marlboros and SpaghettiOs"

  • Kim Henderson, Fiction, "Eve in the Garden"

  • Jessica Holmes, Poetry, "Dear Childhood"

  • Susan Carroll Jewell, Poetry, "Slicing a Tomato with Aristophanes"

  • Madason McCombs, Fiction, "100% Real Juice"

  • Rachele Salvini, Fiction, "Bad Apples"

  • Doug Williams, Fiction, "Pass/Fail"


Congratulations as well to all the finalists! We look forward to sharing your work. In the meantime, if you're curious about PhotoFinish, you can learn more on our web page. Happy reading!





Comments

bottom of page