Stonewall Book Awards

About the Stonewall Book Awards The Stonewall Book Award-Barbara Gittings Literature Award and the Stonewall Book Award-Israel Fishman Non-Fiction Award are presented to English language books that have exceptional merit relating to the LGBTQIA+ experience.

Administered by:

Rainbow Round Table (RRT) logo

Award and Frequency

The awards, which consist of a commemorative plaque and a cash stipend, are presented to the winning authors or editors at the ALA Annual Conference, held in June or July. The amount of the cash stipend to be awarded is determined annually by the Rainbow Round Table (RRT) of the American Library Association.
This award is given out on an annual basis.

Eligibility

The Stonewall Book Awards of the American Library Association are given annually to English-language books of exceptional merit relating to the LGBTQIA+ experience. The awards are given to works published in the United States in the previous calendar year, although works published elsewhere may be considered. Re-printings of previously published books will not be considered. Substantially changed new editions of previously published works and English translations of foreign-language books are eligible for the awards.

Applicant Responsibility

Awardees are expected to receive their award and give an acceptance speech during the Stonewall Book Awards Brunch during the ALA Annual Conference.

Application Instructions

Anyone may suggest a title to the Stonewall Book Awards - Adult Committee members for consideration. However, the publisher of a proposed title, agents or representatives of the author, or anyone else who may stand to gain directly from the nomination of the book should disclose this information via the online form. All suggestions must be submitted by the deadline of December 1.

Visit http://www.ala.org/rt/rrt/award/stonewall to Suggest Titles.

Contact Information

Displaying active committee roster as of 10/03/2023. Last retrieved on 10/03/2023. Members can log in and refresh page to view full contact information for committee members.

Selection Criteria

Awards are made in three categories: adult literature, adult nonfiction and children's and young adult literature. The adult literature category encompasses novels, short stories, poetry, and drama. The adult nonfiction category includes biography, history, criticism, reference works, fine arts, and other traditional nonfiction genres. Anthologies comprised of both nonfiction and literary pieces will be categorized by whichever form predominates. The children’s and young adult literature includes both fiction and non-fiction.

Notification

The Chair will notify the winning authors and publishers as soon as the winners have been decided. The Chair will also notify the publishers of the Stonewall Honor Books.

In addition to the Chair of the Rainbow Round Table, the Chair will notify the American Library Association of the winners at LibLearnX, specifically the ALA Communications & Marketing Office and the ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services.

In collaboration with the ALA ODLOS office, the Book Awards Chair shall prepare a press release announcing the winners and finalists.