March 16th, 2026
they/she/he: ritual to forget your (un)becoming by dezireé a. brown has been named a 2026 finalist for The Publishing Triangle's Leslie Feinberg Award for Trans and Gender-Variant Literature!
Congratulations to Dr. Dez Brown (publishing as dezireé a. brown) for this incredible honor. It is such a privilege to champion this transformative and essential work and a thrill to have others witness its merit!
The Leslie Feinberg Award for Trans and Gender-Variant Literature honors exceptional work by transgender and gender-nonconforming authors. Established in 2016 and renamed for activist and writer Leslie Feinberg—author of Stone Butch Blues, Transgender Warriors, and other landmark works—the award celebrates literature that explores gender identity, diversity, and the lived experiences of trans and gender-variant communities.
Open to a wide range of genres, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, the award highlights the richness and importance of trans storytelling and advocacy.
The winner receives $1,000, underwritten by Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler. Eligible books must have been published in the preceding year, with finalists and the winner selected by a jury appointed by the Publishing Triangle’s awards committee.
Congratulations to all the finalists, wow—what an incredible year for literature!
-
Gendertrash from Hell — edited by Mirha Soleil-Ross (LittlePuss Press)
-
Local Woman — Jzl Jmz (Nightboat Books)
-
Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson — Tourmaline (Tiny Reparations Books)
-
they/she/he: ritual to forget your (un)becoming — dezireé a. brown (Host Publications)
-
Uncanny Valley Girls — Zefyr Lisowski (Harper Perennial)