Robert Jones Jr., the late Anthony Veasna So win LGBTQ literature awards

Robert Jones Jr.’s historical novel “The Prophets” and Anthony Veasna So’s posthumous debut story collection “Afterparties” are among the winners of the 34th annual Triangle Awards, given for outstanding LGBTQ literature.

So, who died suddenly in 2020 at age 28, became the first posthumous winner of the Triangle honor for best LGBTQ fiction. Jones’ novel, which imagines a love affair between two enslaved Black men, was named the outstanding debut fiction book.

Other winners include Ari Banias’ “A Symmetry” for best trans and gender-variant literature, Cheryl Boyce Taylor’s “Mama Phife Represents” for best lesbian poetry and John Keene’s “Punks” for best gay poetry. Brian Broome’s “Punch Me Up to the Gods” was cited for best gay nonfiction, and “Mouths of Rain: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought,” edited by Briona Simone Jones, won for best lesbian nonfiction.