A screenshot of the Monarch Queer Literary Awards website. Text superimposed on top reads, Monarch 2026 now available to read. Beneath it is the cover of the anthology, a photo of a person lying on their back in a field of tall grass with their left arm covering their face. Cover text reads Monarch 2026, a queer literary awards anthology published by fifth wheel press.

MONARCH 2026 is out now! 🦋

Buy a print copy of the anthology: fifthwheelpress.shop/products/monarch-2026
Read it online: monarch.gay/monarch-2026/

This one feels extra special and thanks so much to @psmokejournal.bsky.social for publishing and nominating “I’ll Be Waiting” 🫶🫶🫶

MONARCH 2026 will be available to read online and purchased in print on March 3, 2026.

The cover of Monarch 2026. A photo of a person lying on their back in a field of tall grass with their left arm covering their face. Text reads Monarch 2026, a queer literary awards anthology published by fifth wheel press.

Awardees. Michael Agunbiade, Maddox Emory Arnold, J. L. Bermúdez, C. Ray Borck, Finnian Burnett, Connor, a.d., Gion Davis, Erin Dorney, Dante Fuoco, Ranudi Gunawardena, Katy Haas, Annalisa Hansford, K.M. Hanslik, KT Herr, Jennessa Hester, Esmé Kaplan-Kinsey, Jules Kennedy, Ani King, Kyrico, Tara Labovich, Olivia Lehman, Jackson D. Moorman, Chi Pham, William Roberds-King, Cristina Sanchez, Steven Sanchez, January Santoso, Elena Sichrovsky, Mark Spero, Ashley Steineger, Liam Strong, Gordon Taylor, Holly Lyn Walrath, Cela Xié.

Finalists. Hayden Berry, Alex Bortell, Isabella Boyd, Jordan Byrum, J. J. Carey, James Diaz, Emily Franklin, Isaiah Gardner, Michael Getty, Finnley Greet, Kimberly Hall, Calvin Jones, E.G.N. Lafleur, Angel Leal, Parker Logan, Abby E. Murray, Karol Olesiak, Bleah Patterson, Rowan Procter, Eli V. Rahm, Luke Rudman, Mk Smith Despres, Meghan Sterling, Liam Strong, Wendy Vardaman, Alicia Wright, Steven C Wright.

We are elated to announce the awardees and finalists for MONARCH 2026. Thank you to all of the organizations who nominated work for making our first anthology so stunning 🦋 and a special shoutout to @esichr.bsky.social and @bleatingthing.bsky.social for the beautiful cover photograph!

What to expect. December 2025, Monarch team makes final decisions, notifies selected outlets and authors. January/February 2026, Monarch anthology enters production. March 2026, Monarch enters the world in print and digital formats.

Thank you for nominating works for the 2026 Monarch Queer Literary Awards! We publish in March — here's what we'll be up to until then. 🦋

Text on a purple floral background reads, One day left, monarch.gay/nominate.

Nominations close at the end of the day tomorrow, Sunday, November 30! monarch.gay/nominate

4/5 Monarch Queer Lit Awards, poetry "Drowned Man" Mrityunjay Mohan
"my lover asked me to write a contrapuntal and i said how did you get..." ‪@nulviya.bsky.social‬
Short fiction
"1934: The Children's Hour" DC Diamondopolous
Non fiction
"Fair Haven" Melissa Onstad
"Arabic in America" Jake Zuppa

One week left. Nominations for the Monarch Queer Literary Awards 2026 anthology close November 30. Lit mag editors, check our our guidelines and nominate ASAP! monarch.gay/nominate

Nominations close on November 30 — that's one week away! 🦋

Check our our guidelines and FAQ: monarch.gay/nominate

Here are our nominees for the Monarch Queer Literary Awards! @monarch.gay

More big news from Anodyne: our nominees for the Monarch Queer Literary Awards are here 🩷 @monarch.gay

🫀 “Animal Baby Mania” by Frances Cannon
💫 "Insides" by Alana Rosenbloom

🔗 Read their work through purchasing Vol.4: anodynemag.com/vol4

#AnodyneMagazine #FLINTA #MonarchAwards

Here's a quick recap of our guidelines:

Shimmery purple graphic with a purple and pink butterfly at the bottom. Text reads, One month left to nominate work for Monarch's 2026 anthology.

One month left to nominate work for the inaugural Monarch Queer Literary Awards! Nominations close November 30. 🦋

Editors, visit monarch.gay/nominate to learn more about the anthology, what we're looking for, and how to nominate works from your publications.

We are proud to announce the stunners who comprise our 2026 @monarch.gay nomination slate. Read them all once again (or for the 1st time!) at doesithavepockets.com | #literarycommunity
Graphic @anchalastudio.bsky.social

We are excited to announce our nominees for the @monarch.gay Monarch Queer Literary Awards! Best of luck to these incredible poets!

The links to their work are included on our nominations page here:
www.minyanmag.com/nominations....

Nomination Guidelines - Monarch Queer Literary Awards When to nominate We will accept nominations from September 1, 2025 through November 30, 2025. All decisions will be sent within a month after the reading period closes. We aim to publish an anthology ...

Happy nominating! Check out our full guidelines on our website:

When?

Works must have been published between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025 — no exceptions.

How many?

Each journal or press may nominate:
• up to 5 poems
• up to 2 works of fiction
• up to 2 works of nonfiction
• up to 2 hybrid works
• up to 5 works of visual art

Who?

Editors of literary magazines, journals, and independent presses may nominate works they have published.

What?

Poetry, prose, hybrid work, and visual art created by queer, trans, and gender variant writers and artists.

Let’s talk eligibility. Black text on a light purple background with a large butterfly under the text, colored in abstractly in many purples and pinks.

We're thrilled to see so many nominations coming our way! 🦋

Here's a quick reminder of what's eligible to be considered for the Monarch Queer Literary Awards (and what's not):

MONARCH QUEER LITERARY AWARD NOMINATION: James Montgomery

The #WelkinWritingPrized is pleased to nominate @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social for the @monarch.gay literary awards 2025.

Link to Jame's brilliant story below 👇

Fab new literary awards from @monarch.gay and we are thrilled to send our two nominations.
Good luck @nomad-sw18.bsky.social and @mikepiero.org 💜💜

nom nom (get it)

We were so psyched when we heard about @monarch.gay & we are honored to share our nominees! Please join our internet clapping for Joey Gould, Katy Haas, & Jordan Alejandro Rivera! 👏👏👏

List of award nominations with purple Monarch butterfly logo top centre and SmokeLong Quarterly logo top left. Text: Monarch Queer Literary Awards Nominations: Fiction: Man Spelt Backwards by Chi Pham; People of Color Monologue by Sam Mainz. Non-fiction: strangers breathe air into you by jj peña. Hybrid: Yes by Allison Field Bell; Best Western by C Ray Borck.

Announcing our nominations for the inaugural Monarch Queer Literary Awards! @monarch.gay @fifthwheelpress.bsky.social 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @seaheye.bsky.social, Sam Mainz, @jjpena.bsky.social, @allisonfieldbell.bsky.social, and C Ray Borck

MONARCH QUEER LITERARY AWARDS Allison Wall - Before You Burn Me at the Stake, issue 4 Odin Meadows - Cellophane Boy, issue 4 Marisca Pichette - Asking, issue 4 Jae Casella - Monday Night Choir Boi, issue 4 Ly Faulk - Pig Flu, issue 5 Sama Bell - Better Chance, issue 5

Ok, friends, we are DELIGHTED to announce our nominees for the inaugural Monarch Queer Literary Awards by @fifthwheelpress.bsky.social @monarch.gay

@awritingwall.bsky.social
@odinmeadows.bsky.social
@marisca.bsky.social
Jae Casella
@lyfaulk.bsky.social
Sama Bell

editors, have you fed the butterfly yet? bc it hungers

can't wait to see all your cute Monarch nominations graphics, lit mags 🥰

Nominate work, litmag editors!! We can't wait to start reading the definitely incredible subs <3

We're open! Monarch Queer Literary Awards, September 1 to November 20, 2025, monarch.gay

The Monarch Queer Literary Awards are now open for nominations until November 30, 2025!

Visit our website (monarch.gay) to learn more about us and how editors can nominate work. 🦋

Submission Guidelines - Monarch Queer Literary Awards When to submit We will accept submissions from September 1, 2025 through November 30, 2025. All decisions will be sent within a month after the reading period closes. We aim to publish an anthology of...

Lit mag editors, would you like to submit work for consideration for the Monarch Queer Literary Awards? Check out our submission guidelines so you know what's eligible (and what isn't).

Submissions open September 1:

So excited to be a part of this team and to read so much amazing queer writing. Editors, get ready to submit!