The winners across 26 categories for the 36th annual Lambda Literary Awards are here, following a celebration in Manhattan on June 11. The Lambdas–colloquially known as the Lammys–celebrate the best of queer literature. This year, 130 different titles were named as finalists across the categories, which include everything from LGBTQ+ comic books to gay memoir, lesbian fiction to LGBTQ+ children’s books, and more.
The sold-out event was hosted by activist and drag queen Peppermint. The celebrations underscored the importance of books and celebrations of books by and about the queer experience in an era of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and book bans targeting these stories.
Check out the winners in the 26 categories below:
- Transgender Fiction: Wild Geese by Soula Emmanuel
- Transgender Nonfiction: Miss Major Speaks by Toshio Meronek and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy
- Gay Romance: We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian
- Lesbian Romance: Dance With Me by Georgia Beers
- LGBTQ+ Romance and Erotica: A Tight Squeeze by Laura Q.
- LGBTQ+ Nonfiction: Hi Honey, I’m Homo! by Matt Baume
- Bisexual Nonfiction: Creep by Myriam Gurba
- Bisexual Fiction: Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
- LGBTQ+ Poetry: The Perfect Bastard by Quinn Carver Johnson
- Lesbian Poetry: Teeter by Kimberly Alidio
- Gay Poetry: Trace Evidence by Charif Shanahan
- Bisexual Poetry: Desire Museum by Danielle Cadena Deulen
- Transgender Poetry: Hood Vacations by Michal “MJ” Jones
- Lesbian Memoir / Biography: Lesbian Love Story by Amelia Possanza
- Gay Memoir / Biography: Tweaker World by Jason Yamas
- LGBTQ+ Drama: Fat Ham by James Ijames
- LGBTQ+ Speculative Fiction: I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane
- LGBTQ+ Comics: A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll
- LGBTQ+ Mystery: A Calculated Risk by Cari Hunter
- LGBTQ+ Anthology: 2 Trans 2 Furious by Tuck Woodstock and Niko Stratis
- LGBTQ+ Studies: The Sexual Politics of Empire by Erin L. Durban
- LGBTQ+ Middle Grade: Dear Moth Man by Robin Gow
- LGBTQ+ Young Adult: Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian
- LGBTQ+ Children’s Books: The Apartment on Poppy Hill by Nina LaCour
- Gay Fiction: Family Meal by Bryan Washington
- Lesbian Fiction: Biography of X by Catherine Lacey
You can see the finalists in the categories on the Lambda Literary Awards website here. Publishers Weekly has a writeup about the events of the awards evening as well.
Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.
