The Alice B Readers Award


The Alice B Readers Award is given annually to living writers of lesbian fiction whose careers are distinguished by consistently well-written stories about lesbians. Named for Alice B. Toklas, the award is given once, only, in appreciation of career achievement. In addition to the medal, each recipient is given a lapel pin and a significant honorarium.
The Award was founded by Roberta "Sandy" Sandburg who died of cancer at the age of 72 on June 16, 2009. Sandy envisioned the Alice B Awards a decade or so ago, and in 2004 decided to make the awards a reality by committing funds from "an anonymous donor." A lifelong reader who was passionate about lesbian fiction, Sandy wanted to thank and reward the authors who had given her so much joy, and she did so by establishing the Alice B fund and gathering a group of women who became the Alice B Readers Appreciation Committee.
In addition to Alice B Medals, until 2016 the Committee awarded Alice B Lavender Certificates to up-and-coming authors who do not yet have a body of work but who have published a remarkable work or two deserving of notice. Winners of the certificate received an honorarium of $50. After 2016, the Lavender Certificate was suspended. Due to the overwhelming number of debut writers, the Committee was no longer able to read so many books.

Significance of the Award

Historically, lesbians have rarely had their voices heard in the fiction or nonfiction of modern society,. As Bertha Harris, author of many novels including Lover, once wrote: "Between the time of Sappho and the birth of Natalie Clifford Barney lies a 'lesbian silence' of twenty-four centuries." It wasn't until the 1970s and the establishment of Naiad Press, that books by, for, and about lesbians began to be regularly published. Still, it was a long hard road with little recognition and to this day, considerable difficulties and discrimination face authors of lesbian works.
The Alice B Award is one small contribution toward overcoming discrimination. As Martha Nell Smith so cogently wrote:

"The trajectory of lesbian literature for the first two-thirds of the twentieth century can be described as a movement from encrypted strategies for expressions of the love that dare not speak its name to overtly political celebrations of woman-for-woman passion that, by the late 1960s, refused to be denied, denigrated, or expunged."

The Alice B Award exists to honor and recognize forerunners of modern lesbian fiction including such luminaries as Ann Bannon, Jane Rule, Marijane Meaker, Katherine V. Forrest, and Lee Lynch as well as to the new voices who are providing information, entertainment, and enlightenment to lesbians around the world.

The Alice B Awards Committee

The Alice B Awards Committee is an anonymous group of avid lesbian readers. The award is made possible by an anonymous donor. The donor and committee share a common goal: to reward and thank writers of lesbian fiction for their contribution to the lesbian community, culture, and identity.
At least two Medals are given out annually. Selections are made from lists compiled by the committee members’ all-time favorite living authors currently publishing and those who have not published in more than five years.

Winners of the Alice B Award

2020

2016