Skip to Main Content



LGBTQ+ Studies Research Guide

Selected indexes, e-journals, great books to read, & websites in lgbtq+, gender and transgender studies; in-depth resources

Under Construction

We are currently rebuilding this page to make it easier to use. Pardon our progress!

About the Lambda Book Awards

The Lambda Literary Book Awards are sponsored by the Lambda Literary Group. The Awards have been in existence since 1989, with recipients announced each June during Pride Month.  According to Lambda Literary's website, "The purpose of the Awards in the early years was to identify and celebrate the best lesbian and gay books in the year of their publication. The Awards gave national visibility to a literature that had established a firm if nascent beachhead through a network of dynamic lesbian and gay publishers and bookstores springing up across America. Since their inception, the Lambda Literary Awards ceremony has consistently drawn an audience representing every facet of publishing. The Awards have ranged over many categories, reflecting the wide spectrum of LGBTQ books, and from the very first year they have made the statement that lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans stories are part of the literature of the nation."

Note: We are currently rebuilding this page to make it easier to use. Please pardon our progress!

Lambda Book Awards

Lambda Award Winners & Nominees from 2020 and Earlier

Use the tabs above to view selected Lambda Award recipients and nominees for recent years, along with their ISU Library call numbers. (Note that we are still rebuilding this page of our LGBTQ+ Guide to accommodate more books but in an easier-to-use presentation. You'll find some award-winning books from earlier years still listed in separate boxes on this page.)

Selected 2020 Lambda Award Recipients

Selected 2020 Lambda Award Nominees

Selected 2019 Lambda Award Recipients

Selected 2019 Lambda Award Nominees

Selected 2018 Lambda Award Recipients

Selected 2018 Lambda Award Nominees

Hi! My plan is to move the "2017 and Earlier" Lambda Book Award recipients and finalists here to create an easier to use list; haven't gotten it totally finished yet, so please do consult the list elsewhere on this page!

At Ames Public Library

ISU Library does not have the following titles in our collections - however, Ames Public Library does have them!