Experimental Feminist Poetics Since 1974
Current Contest
Submissions for the 2025 QTBIPOC Prize are now open.
This book contest is open to QTBIPOC-identified, feminist, innovative writers/poets. 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.
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The winning manuscript will be chosen by Andrea Abi-Karam, author of EXTRATRANSMISSION (Kelsey Street Press, 2019).
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Congratulations to Jennifer Perrine , winner of the 2023 QTBIPOC Prize for Beautiful Outlaw, forthcoming in spring 2025. The winning manuscript was chosen by Ching-In Chen, winner of the 2018 Lambda Literary Award for Best Transgender Poetry for recombinant (Kelsey Street Press, 2017).
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.
