Stonewall Book Award

For the awards presented by the British charity, see Stonewall Awards.
Stonewall Book Award
Stonewall Book Award seal
Awarded for"exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience"
CountryUnited States
Presented bythe Rainbow Round Table (RRT) of the American Library Association (ALA)
First awarded1971
Websiteala.org/rt/rrt/award/stonewall
and two "homepages"[1][2][3][a]

The Stonewall Book Award is a set of three literary awards that annually recognize "exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience" in English-language books published in the U.S.[1] They are sponsored by the Rainbow Round Table (RRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) and have been part of the American Library Association awards program, now termed ALA Book, Print & Media Awards, since 1986 as the single Gay Book Award.[4][5]

The three award categories are fiction and nonfiction in books for adults, distinguished in 1990, and books for children or young adults, from 2010. The awards are named for Barbara Gittings, Israel Fishman, and (jointly) Mike Morgan and Larry Romans. In full they are the Stonewall Book Award-Barbara Gittings Literature Award, the Stonewall Book Award-Israel Fishman Non-Fiction Award, and the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children's & Young Adult Literature Award.[1]

Finalists have been designated from 1990, and termed "Honor Books" from 2001.[6] Currently a panel of librarians selects five finalists in each award category and subsequently selects one winner.[4] The winners are announced in January and each receives a plaque and $1000 cash prize during the ALA Annual Conference in June or July.[1] Winners are expected to attend and to give acceptance speeches.[2]

The ALA solicits book suggestions each to be accompanied by a brief statement in favor of the book.[1] Anyone may suggest a title 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.[2]

Eligible books should be original works published in the U.S. and Canada during the preceding year, including "substantially changed new editions" and "English-language translations of foreign-language books".[2]

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  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference list was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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