2026 Lefty Blondie Press First Chapbook Award Results!

Congratulations to Nelle Yvon whose debut chapbook manuscript, Field Notes from a Cult, was selected by this year's judge, Diana Khoi Nguyen for the Lefty Blondie Press 2026 First Chapbook Award!

Nelle Yvon lives in Georgia where she writes poetry and nonfiction about the doomsday cult of her youth and high control fundamentalism, among other things. She enjoys teaching poetry in the carceral classroom and photographing turtles along the Chattahoochee River.

Lefty Blondie Press will print 250 carefully edited, handbound, hand-cut, and hand-numbered chapbooks. Nelle will receive $250 and 10 (ten) author copies. LBP will sponsor a public reading in Pittsburgh, PA in fall 2026.

Nelle, welcome to Lefty Blondie Press and our growing family of badass poets and creatives!

Announcing our 2026 LBP First Chapbook FINALISTS!

Practice for Drowning by Allison Bothley

The Word of the Day by Jennifer Blackledge

Agnes by Laurel Szymkowiak

Orange Light by Laurel Brett

strong female lead by Elle Cantwell

Astronomical Twilight by Kerry Neville

Astronauts in Leaky Spacesuits by Tarn Wilson

Congratulations to our 2026 LBP

First Chapbook SEMI-FINALISTS!

Katharina Barrett

Laura Denny

Eileen Favorite

Meredith Flory

Lauren Fulton

Ann Grogan

Carlin Katz

Devery Landrum

Linda Martin

Laney Nielson

Nina Padolf

Aurelia Raye

​Danielle Riccardi

Ellen Romano

Cynthia Stewart

Caroline Tisdale

We want to recognize the phenomenal work submitted to us this year. The quality of the work is outstanding and we're inspired by the bold, brave, and innovative poetry sent to us this year. Thank you to all who submitted!