Golden Crown Literary Society


Golden Crown Literary Society 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 to authors and editors in various categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and anthologies/collections, as well as for cover design and audiobook narration.
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History

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.
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, Patty Schramm, Liz Gibson, Mary Phillips, Ann Roberts, and Betsy Carswell.
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.

Conferences

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.

Speakers

In addition to conference programming, the keynote and special speakers discuss topics of interest to LGBTQ and other attendees. Past speakers include:

Trailblazer Award and Lee Lynch Classic Award

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. 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 was the first openly transgender author to win. He shared the award with Diane Anderson-Minshall for Queerly Beloved: A Love Story Across Genders.
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.

Goldie Awards

The Goldies are annual literary awards: as of 2026, they are selected for "excellence in sapphic and women-loving-women literature", and in the past, they have been bestowed for "excellence in Lesbian-themed Literature". The Goldies have expanded from four judged categories in 2005 to 11 in 2013 to 18 in 2026, along with two popular choice awards.
In recent years, Goldie entries have been submitted by large publishers, mid-size publishers, small press publishers, university press houses and self-publishing enterprises.
Named after “the queen of lesbian pulp fiction,” the Ann Bannon 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," the Tee Corinne 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 and Suzanne Moss from England, Jae from Germany and E.J. Noyes from New Zealand. Other international winners in 2023 included Jo Havens and Lianyu Tan, Arlene Pare, Rachel Sommers, J.J. Hale and G. Benson.
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, $2,000 for second place and $1,000 for third place. In 2024, Ann Bannon prizes were $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000.

Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award

  • 2025 – Gold: The Unfinished Line by Jen Lyon ; Silver: Vengeance Planning for Amateurs by Lee Winter ; Bronze: Bachelorette Number Twelve by Jae ;
  • 2024 – Gold: Chaos Agent by Lee Winter ; Silver: Meeting Millie by Claire Ashton ; Bronze: On the Same Page by Haley Cass
  • 2023 – Gold: If I Don’t Ask by E.J. Noyes ; Silver: Just a Touch Away by Jae ; Bronze: Broken Beyond Repair by Emily Banting
  • 2022 –The Headmistress by Milena McKay
  • 2021 – Wrong Number, Right Woman by Jae
  • 2020 – Judge Me When I'm Wrong by Cheryl A. Head
  • 2019 – A Proper Cuppa Tea by KG MacGregor
  • 2018 – An Outsider Inside by RJ Samuel
  • 2017 – Rainbow Gap by Lee Lynch
  • 2016 – All We Lack by Sandra Moran
  • 2015 – Olive Oil & White Bread by Georgia Beers
  • 2014 – TIE: All That Lies Within by Lynn Ames ; Letters Never Sent by Sandra Moran
  • 2013 – Survived by Her Longtime Companion by Chris Paynter
  • 2012 – Bingo Barge Murder, A Shay O'Hanlon Caper by Jessie Chandler
  • 2011 – Starting From Scratch by Georgia Beers
  • 2010 – Beggar of Love by Lee Lynch
  • 2009 –The Kiss That Counted by Karin Kallmaker
  • 2008 – And Playing The Role of Herself by K. E. Lane
  • 2007 – Snow Moon Rising by Lori L. Lake

Tee Corinne Award for Outstanding Cover Design

  • 2025 – The Piano in the Tree, cover design by Korin Hunjak
  • 2024 – Along the Mystic River, cover design by Lisa Gold
  • 2023 – Observations on the Danger of Female Curiosity, cover design by Suzanne Moss
  • 2022 –The Headmistress, cover design by Em Schreiber
  • 2021 – Nottingham: The True Story of Robyn Hood, cover design by Ann McMan, TreeHouse Studio
  • 2020 – Alone, cover design by Judith Fellows
  • 2019 – 2°, cover design by Ann McMan
  • 2018 – An Outsider Inside, cover design by Ann McMan, TreeHouse Studio
  • 2017 – Heartscapes, cover design by Sheri
  • 2016 – TIE: All We Lack, cover design by Ann McMan, TreeHouse Studio ; Cast Me Gently, cover design by Glendon Haddix
  • 2015 – Everything, cover design by Ann McMan, TreeHouse Studio

Judged category winners and cash awards: 2024

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.
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 CategoryTitleRecipientPublisher
Audiobook NarratorBroken Beyond RepairAngela DaweSapphfic Publishing
Audiobook NarratorCaught Sleeping: Book Two The Senator's WifeAbby CradenDoss About Publishing
Audiobook NarratorDevil's SlideLori PrinceTantor Audio
Audiobook NarratorStars CollideQuinn RileyBrilliance Publishing, Inc.
Audiobook NarratorWarm Pearls and Paper CranesJuanita McMahonButterworth Books
Contemporary Romance:
Long Novels		The Apple DiaryGerri HillBella Books
Contemporary Romance:
Long Novels		Love Among the RuinsCatherine MaiorisiBella Books
Contemporary Romance:
Long Novels		Meeting MillieClare AshtonSelf-Published
Contemporary Romance:
Long Novels		The No Kiss ContractNan CampbellBold Strokes Books
Contemporary Romance:
Long Novels		On the Same PageHaley CassSelf-Published
Contemporary Romance:
Long Novels		Stars CollideRachel LaceyMontlake
Contemporary Romance:
Mid-Length Novels		Behind the ScenesKarelia Stetz-WatersForever
Contemporary Romance:
Mid-Length Novels		Fragments of the HeartAlly McGuireButterworth Books
Contemporary Romance:
Mid-Length Novels		In Too DeepRachael SommersYlva Publishing
Contemporary Romance:
Mid-Length Novels		Playing with MatchesGeorgia BeersBold Strokes Books
Contemporary Romance:
Mid-Length Novels		Starting OverNance SparksBold Strokes Books
Contemporary Romance:
Short Novels		Before She Was MineEmma L. McGeownBold Strokes Books
Contemporary Romance:
Short Novels		CherishKris BryantBold Strokes Books
Contemporary Romance:
Short Novels		Fire in the SkyRadclyffe & Julie CannonBold Strokes Books
Contemporary Romance:
Short Novels		Live It OutJenn AlexanderBywater Books
Debut NovelsClouded WatersDianna HunterHoly Cow! Press
Debut NovelsConsecrated GroundVirginia BlackBywater Books
Debut NovelsThe First Bright ThingJ.R. DawsonMacmillan Publishers, Tor Publishing Group
Debut NovelsThe Flight RiskMacon LeighMacon Leigh
Debut NovelsPaper Daffodils: A Dawn & Rosie AdventureTitania TempestTanya Hunt
Erotic NovelsPrinciple DecisionsThea BelmontYlva Publishing
Fiction Anthologies / CollectionsThe Beginning of GoodbyeLark SullivanOn A Lark
General FictionThe Flight RiskMacon LeighMacon Leigh
General FictionOn My Way ThereJaycie MorrisonBold Strokes Books
General Non-FictionFrom HereLuma MuflehNancy Paulsen Books
Historical FictionIn the Shadow of Truth J.E. LeakCertifiably Creative LLC
Historical FictionOut of the AshesRita PotterSapphire Books
Historical FictionTo Meet AgainKadyanBold Strokes Books
Mystery / Thriller / Crime NovelsA Calculated RiskCari HunterBold Strokes Books
Mystery / Thriller / Crime NovelsKiss ShotCarolyn ElizabethBella Books
Mystery / Thriller / Crime NovelsTransitoryJ.M. RedmannBold Strokes Books
New Adult FictionWildflowerCathleen CollinsBold Strokes Books
Paranormal / Occult / Horror NovelsConsecrated GroundVirginia BlackBywater Books
Paranormal / Occult / Horror NovelsDark HavenBrey WillowsButterworth Books
Paranormal / Occult / Horror NovelsHaunted by MythBarbara Ann WrightBold Strokes Books
Paranormal / Occult / Horror NovelsMidlife is the Cat's MeowT.B. Markinson & Miranda MacLeodI Heart SapphicFic Press
Poetry Poems / CollectionsSo LongJen LevittFour Way Books
Romantic Blend NovelsChaos AgentLee WinterYlva Publishing
Romantic Blend NovelsThe Fall LineKelly WackerBold Strokes Books
Romantic Blend NovelsIntegrity: Book One in the Halcyon Division SeriesE. J. NoyesBella Books
Romantic Blend NovelsThe Memories of Marlie RoseMorgan Lee MillerBold Strokes Books
Romantic Blend NovelsThe OrderTJ O'SheaBella Books
Science Fiction / Fantasy NovelsBlood of the BasiliskMolly J. BraggDesert Palm Press
Science Fiction / Fantasy NovelsThe Blood BrideRae D. MagdonDesert Palm Press
Science Fiction / Fantasy NovelsThe First Bright ThingJ.R. DawsonMacmillan Publishers, Tor Publishing Group
Science Fiction / Fantasy NovelsOUTCASTKJSelf-Published
Science Fiction / Fantasy NovelsRhapsody in FlamesRyann FletcherSelf-Published
Young Adult FictionBig IslandEmily O'BeirneYlva Publishing
Young Adult FictionGirls Like GirlsHayley KiyokoWednesday Books