Lambda Literary Award for Fiction

The Lambda Literary Awards (the 'Lammys') are presented annually by Lambda Literary, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to fostering LGBTQ+ literature, to books across multiple categories that celebrate or explore LGBTQ+ themes. The awards were established in 1989, making them one of the oldest and most influential awards in queer publishing. The fiction categories include Gay Fiction, Lesbian Fiction, Bisexual Fiction, and Transgender Fiction, each awarded independently. Eligible books must have significant LGBTQ+ content and be published in the preceding year. Books from both mainstream and independent presses are eligible. Finalists (typically five per category) are selected by a panel of 80 or more literary professionals, and winners are announced at an annual awards ceremony. The awards have been central to the development of LGBTQ+ literature as a distinct and celebrated field, recognising writers including Andrew Sean Greer, Carmen Maria Machado, Nicole Dennis-Benn, Joshua Whitehead, Bryan Washington, and Yael van der Wouden. The Lammys continue to serve as a critical barometer of excellence and visibility in queer fiction.