Christopher Tradowsky Wins 2023 J. Michael Samuel Prize for Emerging Writers Over 50

Author: LeKesha Lewis

June 5, 2023

Lambda Literary is excited to announce Christopher Tradowsky as the 2023 winner of the J. Michael Samuel Prize for Emerging Writers Over 50.

The J. Michael Samuel Prize honors emerging LGBTQ writers over the age of 50. The award is made possible by writer and philanthropist Chuck Forester, who created it out of the firmly held belief that “Writers who start late are just as good as other writers, it just took the buggers more time.” The prize is awarded to an unpublished LGBTQ writer over 50 working in any genre and includes a cash prize of $5,000. 

Judges Jobert Abueva and Larry Benjamin selected Tradowsky from a pool of 79 applicants and found his submission—excerpted chapters from a promising novel in progress, Requiem for the Cinema Palace— both haunting and remarkable.

A stunning effort, controlled rhythms, always the right word, a fascinating story that holds together.

Larry Benjamin, judge and 2022 Lammy Award winner in Gay Romance

Requiem for the Cinema Palace draws the reader in with its lyricism and emotional depth; transcending; leaves one wanting to read so much more.

Jobert Abueva, judge and inaugural Samuel Prize winner

Christopher Tradowsky is a writer, artist, and art historian. He lives in St. Paul, MN, and teaches art history at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. His short stories have appeared previously in Bloom, Callisto, Queen Mob’s Teahouse, The Cossack Review, and Harrington Gay Men’s Fiction Quarterly, among other venues. His criticism has appeared in the CAA Art Journal. You can see samples of his art and read more at christophertradowsky.com.