31st Annual Lambda Literary Awards Finalists Announced

Bywater Books is pleased to announce that Beowulf for Cretins: A Love Story by Ann McMan has been shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Romance.

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Beowulf for Cretins: A Love Story

English professor and aspiring novelist, Grace Warner spends her days teaching four sections of “Beowulf for Cretins” to bored and disinterested students at one of New England’s “hidden ivy” colleges. Not long after she is dumped by her longtime girlfriend, Grace meets the engaging and mysterious Abbie on a cross-country flight. Sparks fly on and off the plane as the two strangers give in to one night of reckless passion with no strings attached, and no contact information exchanged.

Back home at St. Albans, the college rocks Grace’s world when it announces the appointment of a new president, the first woman in its 165-year history. Cue Abbie—and cue Grace’s collision course with a neurotic dog named Grendel, a fractious rival for tenure, and a woman called Ochre, in what very well might be Grace’s last real shot at happiness.

This full-length novel reimagines and expands on the short story, “Falling From Grace,” which was originally published in the award-winning story collection, Sidecar by Ann McMan.

Beowulf for Cretins: A Love Story is also available in print, eBook, and audiobook formats.

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Now in their 31st year, the Lambda Literary Awards celebrate achievement in LGBTQ+ writing for books published in 2018. This year’s Lambda Literary Award finalists were selected by a panel of over 60 literary professionals who spent countless hours reading a record number of submissions from over 300 publishers across 24 categories. Finalists will be celebrated and winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony and Gala (the Lammys) the evening of Monday, June 3, 2019, in New York City.