Celebrating the best sex in literature with the inaugural 2021 Good Sex Awards

Sex writing can shape our sexual narrative. The Good Sex Awards are bringing together sex positive writers, activists, and feminists, to celebrate good sex in literature.

What is good sex?

The language of sex is evolving. Power dynamics are being challenged, diversity embraced, and consent celebrated. The Good Sex Awards are keen to reward sex writing that explores the nature of ‘good sex’. Judges have considered prose, imagination, and titillation, and the underlying body positivity, diversity, and consent.

The authors writing great sex are helping the rest of the world live it.

“There are two ways to reach me: by way of kisses or by way of the imagination. But there is a hierarchy: the kisses alone don’t work.”


Anaïs Nin

What makes a good sex story?

Imagination
It takes imagination to write good sex. What makes your story stand out? Is it your storytelling or prose; your characters, dialog or action?

Titillation
A good sex story may be explicit, or leave something to the imagination. But it should always spark desire.

Consent
Is there anything sexier than enthusiastic consent? Whether implicit or explicit, we’re looking for stories that express it.

Diversity
We’re seeking to celebrate sex writing that features a range of races and ethnicities, abilities, ages, genders and sexual orientations.

Get key dates, updates and winners

These great brands are for good sex

Dipsea, Normal, Frolic, Bellesa, The Good Bits, All About Romance, Rachel Kramer Bussel and FlyMedia Productions

The Good Sex Awards are an initiative of The Good Bits and Rachel Kramer Bussel supported by Normal, Bellesa, Frolic Media, Dipsea, Pleasure Mechanics, All About Romance, and Fly Media Productions.