| Golden Crown Literary Society |
Golden Crown Literary Society (GCLS) is an American nonprofit organization established in 2004 for those with an interest in Sapphic literature. Since 2005, GCLS has at its annual conference presented Golden Crown Literary Awards (Goldies) to authors and editors in various categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and anthologies/collections, as well as for cover design and audiobook narration.
The Golden Crown Literary Society was established in 2004 as a response to lesbian presses and authors being ignored by other awarding agencies. By its third annual conference in 2007 in Atlanta, participants had grown from 30 to nearly 300.[1]
The five women who founded GCLS were on its original advisory board: Carrie Carr, Cathy LeNoir Bryerose, Lori L. Lake, Radclyffe, and Kathy L. Smith. In 2006, Bryerose became the first executive director, followed by Smith (2007 to 2008), Patty Schramm (2009 to 2013), Liz Gibson (2013 to 2016), Mary Phillips (2016 to 2021) and Ann Roberts (2021).[2]
In September 2021, Amanda Radley assumed the new role of managing director, serving until October 2022. Currently, GCLS has no executive or managing director and is led by a four-person executive committee composed of the organization's president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary.[3]
Since 2005, GCLS has held an annual conference at which Goldies are presented in categories of Sapphic literature. In 2014, a writing academy was opened for new and upcoming authors, including one-on-one mentoring and in-class instruction. In 2017, the GCLS board added a director of inclusion to emphasize diversity. In 2021, a free, virtual series was launched via Zoom to cover LGBTQ topics, complementing regional events organized by GCLS that offered in-person panels, book sales and author signings.
The annual conference is GCLS's main in-person event for those with an interest in Sapphic literature and LGBTQ issues. Programming includes presentations by panelists and individuals, workshops and other classes, author readings and signings, and structured and informal opportunities for attendees to engage with each other.
In addition to conference programming, keynote and special speakers discuss topics of interest to LGBTQ and other attendees. Past speakers include:
The Trailblazer Award has been given at the annual conference since 2005 to a lesbian writer for contributions to lesbian literature. The Lee Lynch Classic Award was added in 2012 to recognize books with influential historical value.[4] Past winners include:
Called "a night to remember" by The Advocate, trailblazers Lee Lynch and Dorothy Allison and Lee Lynch Classic winner Rita Mae Brown shared a stage for the first time at the 2015 Goldies ceremony. Also that night, Geonn Cannon became the first male writer to win two Goldies and Jacob Anderson-Minshall the first openly transgender author to win. He shared the award with Diane Anderson-Minshall for Queerly Beloved: A Love Story Across Genders.[12]
The 2019 Goldies ceremony included the world premiere of the feature-length documentary In Her Words: 20th Century Lesbian Fiction. Co-directed by Lisa Marie Evans and Trailblazer Marianne K. Martin, the film explores and preserves the documents that dominated lesbian-themed literature in the 20th century.[13]
The Goldies have expanded from four judged categories in 2005 to 11 in 2013[14] to 16 in 2024, along with two popular choice awards.
In recent years, Goldie entries have been submitted by large publishers (e.g., Farrar Straus Giroux, Hatchette Book Group, Macmillian Publishers, St. Martin's Press and Tantor Media), mid-size publishers (e.g., Bold Strokes Books and Skyhorse Publishing), small press publishers (e.g., Aesculus Books, Bedazzled Ink, Bella Books, Blue Feather Books, Brisk Press, Bywater Books, Copper Canyon Press, Desert Palm Press, Flashpoint Publications, Launch Point Press, Midnight Ink, Sapphfic Publishing, Sapphire Books, Spinsters Ink, Regal Crest and Ylva Publishing), university press houses and self-publishing enterprises.[15]
Named after “the queen of lesbian pulp fiction,”[16] the Ann Bannon[17] Popular Choice Award was established in 2007. Currently, Ann Bannon awards recognize three books rated by judges as being of highest quality, and then by popular vote as favorites among the books determined by judges to be finalists.
Established in 2015 to honor "one of the most visible and accessible lesbian artists in the world,"[18] the Tee Corinne[19] Award for Outstanding Cover Design recognizes one book chosen as the favorite after two rounds of popular voting. Voters are encouraged to consider not only the cover but also typography, layout of printed words and how visual elements are arranged.
Recent winners demonstrate the international reach of the Goldies. In 2023, all four winners of the Ann Bannon and Tee Corrine awards were from outside the United States – Emily Banting[20] and Suzanne Moss[21] from England, Jae from Germany and E.J. Noyes[22] from New Zealand. Other international winners in 2023 included Jo Havens[23] and Lianyu Tan[24] (Australia), Arlene Pare (Canada), Rachel Sommers[25] (England), J.J. Hale[26] (Ireland) and G. Benson[27] (Spain).
A five-year restricted grant of $500,000 from the Aronson-Besthoff Fund of the Greater New Orleans Foundation rendered Goldie winners eligible for prize money. In 2023, Ann Bannon winners received $3,000 for first place (gold), $2,000 for second place (silver) and $1,000 for third place (bronze). In 2024, Ann Bannon prizes were $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000.[28]
In 2024, prizes of $1,000 went to top-scoring books in 12 genre-specific novel categories, three non-novel categories, Audiobook Narrator, and Debut Novel.[50]
Volunteer judges evaluated books on a 1-to10-point quantitative scale, rating each on criteria set out in a comprehensive evaluation form. Criteria for novels, for example, included opening, premise, plot, characters, writing, setting, and reader impact. Judges' scores were tallied, and finalists, winners and top-scoring books determined.
Judged category winners in 2024 are listed below, with monetary prize winners shown in bold:
| Judged Award Category | Title | Recipient | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audiobook Narrator | Broken Beyond Repair | Angela Dawe | Sapphfic Publishing |
| Caught Sleeping: Book Two The Senator's Wife | Abby Craden | Doss About Publishing | |
| Devil's Slide | Lori Prince | Tantor Audio | |
| Stars Collide | Quinn Riley | Brilliance Publishing, Inc. | |
| Warm Pearls and Paper Cranes | Juanita McMahon | Butterworth Books | |
| Contemporary Romance: Long Novels | The Apple Diary | Gerri Hill | Bella Books |
| Love Among the Ruins | Catherine Maiorisi | Bella Books | |
| Meeting Millie | Clare Ashton | Self-Published | |
| The No Kiss Contract | Nan Campbell | Bold Strokes Books | |
| On the Same Page | Haley Cass | Self-Published | |
| Stars Collide | Rachel Lacey | Montlake | |
| Contemporary Romance: Mid-Length Novels | Behind the Scenes | Karelia Stetz-Waters | Forever (Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Group) |
| Fragments of the Heart | Ally McGuire | Butterworth Books | |
| In Too Deep | Rachael Sommers | Ylva Publishing | |
| Playing with Matches | Georgia Beers | Bold Strokes Books | |
| Starting Over | Nance Sparks | Bold Strokes Books | |
| Contemporary Romance: Short Novels | Before She Was Mine | Emma L. McGeown | Bold Strokes Books |
| Cherish | Kris Bryant | Bold Strokes Books | |
| Fire in the Sky | Radclyffe & Julie Cannon | Bold Strokes Books | |
| Live It Out | Jenn Alexander | Bywater Books | |
| Debut Novels | Clouded Waters | Dianna Hunter | Holy Cow! Press |
| Consecrated Ground | Virginia Black | Bywater Books | |
| The First Bright Thing | J.R. Dawson | Macmillan Publishers, Tor Publishing Group | |
| The Flight Risk | Macon Leigh | Macon Leigh | |
| Paper Daffodils: A Dawn & Rosie Adventure | Titania Tempest | Tanya Hunt | |
| Erotic Novels | Principle Decisions | Thea Belmont | Ylva Publishing |
| Fiction Anthologies / Collections | The Beginning of Goodbye | Lark Sullivan | On A Lark |
| General Fiction | The Flight Risk | Macon Leigh | Macon Leigh |
| On My Way There | Jaycie Morrison | Bold Strokes Books | |
| General Non-Fiction | From Here | Luma Mufleh | Nancy Paulsen Books |
| Historical Fiction | In the Shadow of Truth (Shadow Series Book 4) | J.E. Leak | Certifiably Creative LLC |
| Out of the Ashes | Rita Potter | Sapphire Books | |
| To Meet Again | Kadyan | Bold Strokes Books | |
| Mystery / Thriller / Crime Novels | A Calculated Risk | Cari Hunter | Bold Strokes Books |
| Kiss Shot | Carolyn Elizabeth | Bella Books | |
| Transitory | J.M. Redmann | Bold Strokes Books | |
| New Adult Fiction | Wildflower | Cathleen Collins | Bold Strokes Books |
| Paranormal / Occult / Horror Novels | Consecrated Ground | Virginia Black | Bywater Books |
| Dark Haven | Brey Willows | Butterworth Books | |
| Haunted by Myth | Barbara Ann Wright | Bold Strokes Books | |
| Midlife is the Cat's Meow | T.B. Markinson & Miranda MacLeod | I Heart SapphicFic Press | |
| Poetry Poems / Collections | So Long | Jen Levitt | Four Way Books |
| Romantic Blend Novels | Chaos Agent | Lee Winter | Ylva Publishing |
| The Fall Line | Kelly Wacker | Bold Strokes Books | |
| Integrity: Book One in the Halcyon Division Series | E. J. Noyes | Bella Books | |
| The Memories of Marlie Rose | Morgan Lee Miller | Bold Strokes Books | |
| The Order | TJ O'Shea | Bella Books | |
| Science Fiction / Fantasy Novels | Blood of the Basilisk | Molly J. Bragg | Desert Palm Press |
| The Blood Bride | Rae D. Magdon | Desert Palm Press | |
| The First Bright Thing | J.R. Dawson | Macmillan Publishers, Tor Publishing Group | |
| OUTCAST | KJ | Self-Published | |
| Rhapsody in Flames | Ryann Fletcher | Self-Published | |
| Young Adult Fiction | Big Island | Emily O'Beirne | Ylva Publishing |
| Girls Like Girls | Hayley Kiyoko | Wednesday Books | |