The Publishing Triangle presents its Awards Finalists Reading on Wednesday, April 16 at 6:30 pm, the day before the 2025 Publishing Triangle Awards ceremony. Join host Rob Byrnes as he welcomes RK Fauth, Joshua Garcia, Omotara James, Ruben Reyes Jr., and Margot Douaihy as they read from some of the best LGBTQ+ fiction and poetry published in 2024.

Specific books and awards:

Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetry

Song of My Softening, by Omotara James (Alice James Books)

A Dream in Which I Am Playing with Bees, by RK Fauth (Texas Tech University Press)

Ferro-Grumley Award for LGBTQ+ Fiction

There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, by Ruben Reyes Jr. (Mariner Books)

Thom Gunn for Gay Poetry

Pentimento, by Joshua Garcia (Black Lawrence Press)

Joseph Hansen Award for LGBTQ+ Crime Writing

Blessed Water, by Margot Douaihy (Zando/Gillian Flynn Books)

To reserve a copy of any of these books, please write to [email protected] with “please reserve a book/books for April 16th event” in the subject line. And let them know the title(s) of the book(s) in the body of the email.

This event will take place in person at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division, on the second floor (room 210) of The LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St., NYC, 10011.

Registration is not required. Seating is first come, first served.

Also live-streaming on the Bureau’s YouTube channel:

youtube.com/@bgsqd

The Bureau will solicit donations at the beginning of the event—we especially encourage donations from those who do not plan to purchase any books.

All are welcome to attend, with or without a donation.

We will pass a bag for donations at the start of the event, but we can also take credit card donations at the register or on Venmo @BGSQD