“A lot of the categories are submitted by the community, which is how we can track trends throughout the years,” Johnson told NBC News. “Humor used to be a category, but now it’s no longer, and we’re finding that the number of young adult books has been exploding each year, so there’s a lot more to select from.”

Johnson added that each category is judged by a panel of three or so authors who write in the same genre they judge.

“Queer writers are changing the master narrative,” Johnson said, adding that as a result, more mainstream media organizations have been taking note of LGBTQ authors’ contributions. “But at Lambda Literary we continue to provide a platform for the truly transgressive and outsider voices because highlighting these voices can help readers feel less alone.”

As 2019 closes, here are Lambda Literary’s awardees — a list that denotes some of the most impactful, provocative LGBTQ literature of the past year, according to the foundation.

Lesbian Fiction

1. "The Tiger Flu" by Larissa Lai

Gay Fiction

2. "Jonny Appleseed" by Joshua Whitehead

Bisexual Fiction

3. "Disoriental" by Négar Djavadi; Translated by Tina Kover, Europa Editions

Bisexual Fiction

Transgender Fiction

5. "Little Fish" by Casey Plett

LGBTQ Nonfiction

Transgender Nonfiction

Lesbian Poetry

8. "Each Tree Could Hold a Noose or a House" by Ru Puro

Gay Poetry

9. "Indecency" by Justin Phillip Reed

Bisexual Poetry

10. "We Play a Game" by Duy Doan

Transgender Poetry

11. "lo terciario/the tertiary" by Raquel Salas Rivera

Lesbian Mystery

Gay Mystery

Lesbian Memoir/Biography

14. "Chronology" by Zahra Patterson

Gay Memoir/Biography

Lesbian Romance

Gay Romance

LGBTQ Erotica

18. "Miles & Honesty in SCFSX!" by Blue Delliquanti and Kazimir Lee

LGBTQ Anthology

19. "As You Like It: The Gerald Kraak Anthology Volume II" by The Other Foundation and Jacana Media

LGBTQ Children’s/Young Adult

20. "Hurricane Child" by Kacen Callender

LGBTQ Drama

21. "Draw the Circle" by Mashuq Mushtaq Deen

LGBTQ Graphic Novels

22. "The Lie and How We Told It" by Tommi Parrish

LGBTQ SF/F/Horror

23. "The Breath of the Sun" by Isaac R. Fellman

LGBTQ Studies

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