The Radical Authenticity Prize was created to amplify the bold, authentic voices of Trans and Non-Binary authors and poets.
about the award
The winning manuscript will be published by Wayfarer Books in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats. The winning author will receive a traditional royalty contract and the opportunity to join our award-winning literary press.
All entries will be considered for publication, and finalists and honorable mentions may also receive publication offers if our budget allows.
Submission
Guidelines
> 2025 Prize Deadline October 1, 2025
> This prize is open to those who identify within the Transgender, Non-binary, and Gender non-conforming spectrum.
> There is a reading fee of $20.
> This prize is open to works of poetry, creative nonfiction, memoirs, and essay collections. (No fiction, please.)
> Poetry manuscripts should be no more than 90 pages.
> Creative Nonfiction/ Memoir manuscripts should be no more than 45,000 words.
> A single author may submit multiple entries but each entry must be separate.
> To submit, the manuscript must be previously unpublished.
> A limited number of individual poems/excerpts may have appeared in print or online, but the author must hold sole rights to the work.
> Manuscripts must be in English and follow the Chicago Manual of Style guidelines.
> This is a biennial award. We announce the winner December 1, 2025. The winning manuscript(s) will be published in Summer 2026.
who can submit?
We welcome submissions from writers who identify as Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming. We recognize that language and identity are ever-evolving—if you identify beyond the binary and do not see yourself explicitly represented here, please feel free to submit. We currently reference definitions set forth by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) while remaining active participants in the evolution of language and identity:
Transgender: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression differs from cultural expectations based on their assigned sex at birth. Being transgender does not imply a specific sexual orientation.
Non-Binary: An identity for those who do not identify exclusively as male or female. This may include people who see themselves as a mix of both, somewhere in between, or entirely outside these categories. Some non-binary individuals identify as transgender, while others do not.
Gender Non-Conforming: A broad term for those whose gender identity or expression does not align with traditional societal expectations. This may include identities such as genderqueer, agender, bigender, genderfluid, transmasculine, transfeminine, and others.
Does the manuscript have to be about trans or/non-binary issues to qualify?
details
Judging & Selection Process
The editorial team at Wayfarer Books will judge the contest. This is not a blind competition. The winning poet will receive a traditional royalty contract and publication in multiple formats (print, ebook, audiobook).
Finalists and honorable mentions may also be considered for publication.
Why Submit to the Radical Authenticity Prize?
Join an award-winning independent press dedicated to bold, literary voices. Your book published in multiple formats with professional editorial support. Visibility & distribution through major retailers.
the namesake
The Radical Authenticity Prize is named after a concept first introduced by Wayfarer Books’ founder, Connor Wolfe (they/them), in their 2018 TEDx Talk at Yale University, following the release of their micro-memoir, To Lose the Madness. At the time, presenting under their dead name and pen name, L.M. Browning, Wolfe spoke about their personal journey through successive trauma, CPTSD, and Dissociative Identity Disorder (D.I.D.), as well as their search for a way to transcend prolonged trauma and carry it with grace. Ultimately, in alignment with this philosophy of radical honesty with oneself, Wolfe came out as trans/nonbinary in 2022.
In their TEDx talk, they explored their idea of Radical Authenticity, a philosophy rooted in the power of storytelling to normalize discussions around mental health and dismantle stigma. The Radical Authenticity Prize was ultimately created in 2024 by Wolfe as a means to amplify the bold, authentic voices of Trans and Non-Binary writers.
To learn more, watch the TEDx Talk “Writing on Life” on YouTube.
Wayfarer Books presently has offices in Abiquiu, New Mexico as well as Durango, Colorado. Wayfarer Books recognizes that our publishing house is situated on the ancestral lands of the Nuuchiu (Ute), Jicarilla Apache, Pueblos of New Mexico, Hopi Sinom (Hopi), and Diné (Navajo) Nations. We acknowledge the deep histories, enduring cultures, and ongoing presence of these Indigenous peoples, whose stewardship of the land predates colonization and continues today.