The list of Eastlit Writers December 2016 is alphabetical by first name:

Andrew J. West

Andrew J. West is a Bangkok-based writer and author of Thai Neotraditional Art (2015), Destiny to Imagination: Prateep Kochabua (2013) and the art fiction novel Silpa: the Art of Love (Ruk Nai Roy Silp) which was published in the Thai language in 2008, as well as many short stories that have appeared in Eastlit and in the Italian language in Storie magazine. He was a regular contributor to Bangkok Post as an art critic over the period 2003 to 2010. His first solo art exhibition, Three Worlds, of photo poetry was shown at the prestigious Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) in 2014. West was born in 1967 in Armidale, NSW, Australia, and studied writing and journalism at the University of Western Sydney (UWS), graduating with an MA (Writing).

Colin Dodds

Colin Dodds is the author of Another Broken Wizard, WINDFALL and The Last Bad Job, which Norman Mailer touted as showing “something that very few writers have; a species of inner talent that owes very little to other people.” His writing has appeared in more than two hundred publications, and been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net Anthology. Poet and songwriter David Berman (Silver Jews, Actual Air) said of Dodds’ work: “These are very good poems. For moments I could even feel the old feelings when I read them.”Colin’s book-length poem That Happy Captive was a finalist for the Trio House Press Louise Bogan Award as well as the 42 Miles Press Poetry Award in 2015. And his screenplay, Refreshment, was named a semi-finalist in the 2010 American Zoetrope Contest. Colin lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and daughter. See more of his work at thecolindodds.com.

Dave Hopkins

Dave Hopkins is a English Language Specialist and teacher trainer who has been living in Thailand for over 20 years. He lives on the East Coast, but travels frequently to Khao Yai, where this photo was taken, to participate in TESOL training courses.

Frank Orloson

Frank Orloson lives in Michigan. He is currently a student. To anyone who read the above story: thank you so, so much! Also, Frank can be reached at tellingtalltales@yahoo.com

Hiraa Kazmi

Hiraa did Masters in English Literature from Department of English, University of the Punjab. She also holds a Masters degree in Education and International Development from UCL Institute of Education, UK. Hiraa wrote her first poem for University of the Punjab’s English Department magazine “Words” and never stopped. Literature is her long term friend and she seeks refuge, advice, insight and delight in books. She is a lecturer in University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan where she teaches courses in literature. Her poems have been published in Eastlit and Sicklit Magazines

Jagadish Mohanty

Jagadish Mohanty (17 February 1951 – 29 December 2013) was a renowned Oriya writer, considered as a trendsetter in modern Oriya fiction, has received the prestigious Sarala Award 2003, Orissa Sahitya Akademy Award 1990, Jhankar Award, 1985 Dharitri Award, Prajatantra Award. Born in Gorumahishani, Mayurbhanj.an iron mines of northern periphery of Orissa, he spent more than 30 years of his life working in the coal mines in western periphery of Orissa. Though he kept himself away from the cultural capital of Orissa, but still his writings highlighted him in the mainstream of Oriya literature He died in 2013.

Joe Milan

Joe Milan Jr. is a writer who teaches and is also a Black Mountain Institute PhD Fellow in Fiction. Most of his stories and essays take place in and around Seoul, South Korea, where he lived for nine years. Wonderful places like Kyoto Journal, LitroNY, Numéro Cinq and others have published his work. You can read more of his past, present and future stuff at www.joemilanjr.com

Matthew James Friday

Matthew James Friday is professional writer and graduate of the MA in Creative Writing at Goldsmith College, London. He has had poems and short stories published in the following worldwide magazines and literary journals: A Handful of Stones, Bad Idea Magazine, Brand Literary Magazine, Bolts of Silk, The Brasilia Review, Cadenza, Carillon, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, Dreamcatcher, Earth Love, Erbacce, Envoi, Finger Dance Festival, Gloom Cupboard, IS&T (Ink, Sweat & Tears), The Journal, The New Writer, Orbis, Sentinel Literary Quarterly, Third Wednesday, Of Nepalese Clay, Pens on Fire, Pulsar Poetry, Rear View Poetry, Red Ink, South Bank Poetry Magazine, The Writing Shift and Writing Magazine.

Nosheen Irfan

Nosheen Irfan is from Lahore, Pakistan. She holds a Masters in English Literature. She has worked as English teacher at school level. She is an avid reader of fiction and poetry. She takes inspiration from both classic and contemporary literature. To her, literature and music are life. She makes it a point to write daily so she could express herself creatively.

Peter Bracking

Peter Bracking tells tall tales. Earth point: a tropical metropolis

Words have literally been published from ocean to ocean to ocean by some really great literary mags in a growing number of countries on half the inhabited continents.

The only occupation is being a beach bum. Peter is the artistic director of Utter Stories.

Self aggrandizement: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017AFRGEK

Peter Lo Bianco

Peter Lo Bianco has lived and worked on four continents for an international scientific and technical organization. He currently works in France. He has  previously published poetry in EastLit (in April 2015) also on Korean themes.

Steve Young

Steve Young was born Christopher Morita in New York of Japanese immigrant parents. Both his parents died during Young’s early childhood and he was eventually adopted by white parents.  Young is a radio reporter and news editor who has filed over 150 stories for NPR and has won numerous national awards including a 2007 du-Pont Columbia award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism. He has an MFA in Fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has published eight previous short stories. He plays jazz piano and currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Uma Jayaraman

Uma Jayaraman is an academic who lives and writes in Singapore. She is interested in how diaspora spaces affect human identities. Her stories are based on her lived experience in India and Singapore. Her first short story was published in May 2016 in an anthology of Asian short stories. She has also written and directed plays in Tamil. More recently, Uma has begun experimenting with narrative theatre. Her maiden piece, performed at Idaho, USA, was sponsored by National Arts Council in 2015. while theatre remains Uma’s first love, she is more confident of making  a name for herself in short fiction with her unique take on what matters most in spaces of displacement.

Vernon Daim

Vernon Daim was born in Taiping, Malaysia and educated in Edinburgh, UK. He writes both poetry and short stories.

Vyxz Vasquez

Vyxz Vasquez is an instructor of English courses in the University of the Philippines. She is working on her post-graduate degree in Creative Writing in the same university.