Current Contest

QTBIPOC Book Contest, 2023

QTBIPOC Book Prize

We would like to announce Kelsey Street Press’ 2023 QTBIPOC Prize! This is a FREE book contest open to QTBIPOC-identified, feminist, innovative writers/poets. The winning manuscript will be chosen by Ching-In Chen, winner of the 2018 Lambda Literary Award for Best Transgender Poetry for recombinant (Kelsey Street Press, 2017). The prize winner will receive publication along with a $1,000.00 cash award to help aid in book promotion, travel, event attendance, and a general contribution to the hopes of thriving as an artist.This prize continues Kelsey Street’s commitment to publishing a poetics of inclusion. The contest is open for submissions from March 15-June 15, 2023, with the contest winner announced in September 2023.

Please see the guidelines for more guidelines and submission instructions.

Past Contests

FIRSTS!

In this series of first books by emerging writers, Kelsey Street Press continues to link its editorial policy of addressing the marginalization of women, trans, and genderqueer writers to a poetics of allowance that encourages them to write directly from their own creative imperatives.

Frances Jaffer Award

The Frances Jaffer Book Award was for a first book of poetry that is experimental in spirit and practice. The Award was established in 1999 in honor of Bay Area poet and editor Frances Jaffer (1921–1999) and was given in 2000, 2001, and 2003. The winning selections were published by Kelsey Street Press.