2025 Bennett Nieberg Transpoetic Broadside Prize

The Bennett Nieberg Transpoetic Broadside Prize awards a single poem written by a trans poet who has yet to publish their first full-length book. The prize consists of $500, 5 limited edition letterpress broadsides of the winning poem.

We are pleased to announce this year's final judge is Michal "MJ" Jones!

Michal "MJ" Jones (they/he) is an award-winning poet, parent, and editor living in Oakland, CA. Their debut collection of poetry, HOOD VACATIONS, won the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Poetry. They are also the author of a chapbook, SOFT ARMOR (2023), from Black Lawrence Press. Often addressing the troubling and haunting aspects of life, violence, and identity, MJ’s poetry blends lyrical, documentary, and confessional modes. From 2022-2024, MJ served as as the Editor-In-Chief of Foglifter, an award-winning literary journal publishing radical work by LGBTQIA2-S writers. They have been awarded fellowships from Lambda Literary, Hurston/Wright Foundation, and VONA/Voices. 

Eligibility:

• This prize is reserved for writers who identify as a trans writer. This may include those who identify as non-binary, genderqueer, agender, trans-masc, trans-femme, bigender, two spirit, gender fluid, or intersex people.
• Writers cannot yet have published a full-length book of any genre (chapbooks and self-publishing okay).

Requirements:

• Submit ONLY 1 unpublished poem on any subject/theme with a brief author bio.
• Do not include any identifying information on the document of the poem.
• Limit one submission per writer. You may not edit your piece after its submission. Do not withdraw a submission in order to resubmit. We will disqualify all duplicate submissions.
• Simultaneous submissions are okay, but please withdraw your submission if it is accepted elsewhere.
• Friends, former/current students of the editors and/or Michal "MJ" Jones, and/or current Gasher authors are not permitted to submit to the prize. 

Additional  info:

• 25 submission fee waivers are available for this year's prize. For a waiver, please email at whitney@gasherpress.com
• A list of semi-finalists, selected by members of Gasher's staff, will be forwarded to the final judge for the selection of a winner and finalists.
• The winner and finalists will be announced in September 2025.