Books
On Monday evening, writers and readers gathered at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts for the 31st Annual Lambda Literary Awards, which celebrate the best LGBTQIA+ literature published in 2018. Mx Justin Vivian Bond, the author of Tango: My Childhood Backwards and in High Heels, hosted the ceremony, which honored 25 books and their authors. Bustle has details on all the winners below, so keep reading to find out all about the best in recent queer lit.
Since 1989, the Lambda Literary Awards have honored the best works of fiction, poetry, drama, and nonfiction written and published by queer authors in the previous year. In addition to the 25 books that took home prizes on Monday night, the 31st Annual Lambda Literary Awards also recognized Alexander Chee, Masha Gessen, and Barbara Smith with special honors. Rent star Anthony Rapp presented Chee with the Lambda's Trustee Award, in recognition of "his immeasurable contributions to culture as a novelist, essayist, activist, and teacher," according to the press release from Lambda Literary. HuffPost Editor-in-Chief Linda Polgreen presented Gessen with the Visionary Award, in honor of "their work advancing public awareness around the global threat of totalitarianism." Author Cheryl Clarke presented Smith with the Publishing Professional Award, recognizing "a lifetime of work that has profoundly shaped our collective understanding of the interconnections between race, class, and gender."
Check out the 25 winners of the 31st Annual Lambda Literary Awards below:
The 2019 Lambda Literary Awards for Fiction
The winners are:
- For Lesbian Fiction: The Tiger Flu by Larissa Lai
- For Gay Fiction: Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead
- For Bisexual Fiction: Disoriental by Négar Djavadi
- For Transgender Fiction: Little Fish by Casey Plett
The 2019 Lambda Literary Awards for Nonfiction
The winners are:
- For Bisexual Nonfiction: Out of Step: A Memoir by Anthony Moll
- For Transgender Nonfiction: Histories of the Transgender Child by Julian Gill-Peterson
- For LGBTQ Nonfiction: Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry by Imani Perry
The 2019 Lambda Literary Awards for Poetry
The winners are:
- For Lesbian Poetry: Each Tree Could Hold a Noose or a House by Ru Puro, formerly Nina Puro
- For Gay Poetry: Indecency by Justin Phillip Reed
- For Bisexual Poetry: We Play a Game by Duy Doan
- For Transgender Poetry: lo terciario / the tertiary by Raquel Salas Rivera
The 2019 Lambda Literary Awards for Mystery
The winners are:
- For Lesbian Mystery: A Study in Honor by Claire O'Dell
- For Gay Mystery: Late Fees by Marshall Thornton
The 2019 Lambda Literary Awards for Memoir/Biography
The winners are:
- For Lesbian Memoir/Biography: Chronology by Zahra Patterson
- For Gay Memoir/Biography: No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America by Darnell L. Moore
The 2019 Lambda Literary Awards for Romance
The winners are:
- For Lesbian Romance: Beowulf for Cretins: A Love Story by Ann McMan
- For Gay Romance: Crashing Upwards by S.C. Wynne
The 2019 Lambda Literary Awards for LGBTQ Anthology
The winners are:
- As You Like It: The Gerald Kraak Anthology Volume II, edited and published by The Other Foundation, Jacana Media
- Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture, edited by Roxane Gay
The 2019 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Children's/Young Adult
The winner is:
- Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender, formerly Kheryn Callender
The 2019 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Erotica
The winner is:
- Miles and Honesty in SCFSX! by Blue Delliquanti and Kazimir Lee
The 2019 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Graphic Novels
The winner is:
- The Lie and How We Told It by Tommi Parrish
The 2019 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror
The winner is:
- The Breath of the Sun by Isaac R. Fellman
The 2019 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Studies
The winner is:
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