Lilac Peril Press
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lilacperil.bsky.social
Lilac Peril Press
@lilacperil.bsky.social
220 followers 42 following 59 posts
DC-based small press by and for trans writers, with an eye for the subversive and experimental.

Issue 01: TABOO available now: https://lilacperil.bigcartel.com/product/issue-01-taboo
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A screenshot from an article by Bethany Karsten published on the Transfeminine Review. It reads: “TABOO (2025) - Lilac Peril What It's About: A collection of stories primarily from authors local to the Washington, DC area, compiled by one of the most important community publishing and organizing efforts in the underground trans lit scene right now. Why You Should Read It: TABOO pushes the boundaries of the trans shortform anthology and does its title proud, from some of the best avant-garde prose of 2025 to zine-style underground theory, accompanied by a wonderful medley of poetry and art. Championing debut authors, deeply grounded in a local literary scene, Lilac Peril is paving a path for indie trans publishing in the 2020s.”
November 7, 2025 at 2:37 AM
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November 6, 2025 at 2:08 PM
lilacperil.bsky.social
And just a heads up, we’re taking a break from workshops in December :)
HEADS UP! NO WORKSHOP IN DECEMBER see you next year :)
November 5, 2025 at 4:25 PM
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NOVEMBER WORKSHOP with @ttmaddenwrites.bsky.social ⚡️⚡️⚡️

Sun, Nov 30 at 10 am
at Rhizome DC

Writers of all experience levels are welcome to join. We want you here even if you’ve never attended a workshop before!

www.rhizomedc.org/new-events/2...
Lilac Peril Presents: Trans Writing Workshop, featuring TT Madden. Sunday, November 30th at 10 am. Rhizome DC - 6950 Maple St NW, Washington DC 20012. Workshop topic: This class will cover topics on how to help maintain focus and writing inspiration during such stressful cultural times, especially if your writing is about such a subject. TT Madden (they/them) is a genderfluid, mixed-race author who refuses to keep "politics" out of their writing or to put AI in. Their work writing weird fiction often deals with the intersections of their various identities. They've published several books, including Gorman's House, Student Bodies, and The Cosmic Color, with more forthcoming. Who is this workshop for? Trans, non-binary, and Two Spirit writers of all experience levels. We welcome you whether it's your first or one hundredth workshop. How much does it cost? Nothing! The workshop is 100% free. Why should I go? To build community, to fight despair, and to get inspired for that writing project you’ve been meaning to work on.
November 5, 2025 at 4:25 PM
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Side by side of our first book (out of print) and TABOO. She’s big!! Order your copy 💋 lilacperil.bigcartel.com/product/issu...
Lilac Peril issue zero (a white book with a purple angel on the cover) next to Lilac Peril issue one (a red book with a black angel on the cover) The spines of Lilac Peril issues zero and one next to each other
October 19, 2025 at 5:36 PM
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Plus! Save the date for November with @ttmaddenwrites.bsky.social
October 12, 2025 at 12:09 AM
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And then the reading is a few weeks later at People’s Book locally in Takoma Park, MD 🥰
October 12, 2025 at 12:09 AM
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The workshop is virtual and free and that means 🫵YOU🫵 can attend www.eventbrite.com/e/trans-writ...
workshop topic HOW TO "KILL LIES:" WRITING AGAINST RECEIVED LANGUAGE Nico Walker, the infamous bankrobber-turned-novelist, once wrote in BookForum, "Any writer worth a fuck should be in the business of killing lies." This generative writing workshop will consider the clichés, disinformation, and reductive language that plague minority writers specifically and employ them as writing prompts. We will begin by looking at some remarkable lie-killers across identity groups and history (potential writers include Torrey Peters, Andrea Long Chu, Imogen Binnie, Kay Gabriel, Leslie Feinberg, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Ralph Ellison, Claudia Rankine, Danez Smith, Charles Yu, Mosab Abu Toha, and Nafissa Thompson-Spires) and finish with a writing exercise in which we, as trans artists, write directly against and past the language wrongly applied to us. Sat, October 18 at 2 PM EST Virtual, registration in bio
October 12, 2025 at 12:09 AM
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Can you believe we forgot to post this here? We are doing a DOUBLE FEATURE this month with THE @maxdelsohn.bsky.social to celebrate the release of Crawl !!!
Lilac Peril presents Max Delsohn's DOUBLE FEATURE virtual workshop Sat, October 18 at 2 PM EST HOW TO "KILL LIES:" WRITING AGAINST RECEIVED LANGUAGE reading + q & a Wed, October 29 at 6 PM EST PEOPLE'S BOOK 7014-A WESTMORELAND AVE, TAKOMA PARK, MARYLAND 20912 Max Delsohn's writing appears in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, VICE, Joyland, The Rumpus, and Triangle House, among other places. His debut short story collection, Crawl, about trans men in Seattle during the 2010s, will be published by Graywolf Press on Oct. 21, 2025. He earned his MFA in fiction from Syracuse University. He lives in Los Angeles.
October 12, 2025 at 12:09 AM
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Our auction raised $500, split between Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid and Alice Correia Barbosa’s legal fund 🥳 massive thanks to everyone who bid, and especially to our contributors who donated their work
A picture of Lilac Peril’s book TABOO with text above it that reads “$500 raised to defend migrant rights in DC”
October 4, 2025 at 3:02 PM
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Lots of cool shit from contributors! auctria.events/migrantsolid...
September 10, 2025 at 8:12 PM
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Our launch events are a wrap! We still have plenty of auction items that you can bid on for the next week. All money goes to migrant mutual aid in DC auctria.events/migrantsolid...
Home page of the Lilac Peril auction for migrant rights in Washington DC
September 10, 2025 at 8:12 PM
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The books are HERE 🫦

A million thanks to the extraordinary @radixcoop.bsky.social

Copies will be for sale at our launch event THIS SUNDAY 9/7 at Lost City Books, but there’s still time to pre-order from us directly 💋

lilacperil.bigcartel.com/product/issu...
Andrea smiling in front of a trunk full of boxes Luke holding up a stack of books Luke and Andrea selfie in the car The workshop space of Radix Co-Op featured lots of beautiful posters on the wall
September 5, 2025 at 12:46 AM
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If you’re not local or can’t make it, pls consider coming to our virtual launch a few days later on Tuesday, September 9 :) www.eventbrite.com/e/taboo-virt...
A black and white illustration of baphomet but with the face of a cunty woman, along with text reading: REJOICE! Lilac Peril cordially invites you to our VIRTUAL BOOK LAUNCH, a night of literary perversions. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 AT 8 PM EST REGISTER FOR LINK Celebrate the launch of Lilac Peril's Issue 01: TABOO, a collection of 30+ trans contributors writing on the margins.
August 22, 2025 at 8:25 PM
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TABOO is almost here 😈 celebrate with us on Sunday, September 7 at Lost City Books for an evening of readings from contributors and other literary perversions
A black and white illustration of an angel holding a sword, along with the text: HARK! Lilac Peril & Lost City Books presents the TABOO LAUNCH PARTY. Celebrate the launch of Lilac Peril's Issue 01: TABOO, a collection of 30+ trans contributors writing on the margins. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 FROM 5 - 7 PM at Lost City Books 2467 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009 readings * refreshments * perversions
August 22, 2025 at 8:25 PM
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And save the date for another fun topic in September: writing for tabletop games with Sly Robot :)
save the date! next workshop on saturday september 27 with guest instructors from SLY ROBOT GAMES
August 1, 2025 at 9:20 PM
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August workshop topic is comics! :)

ft. guest instructor Connie Jin

Free, no experience required, materials provided

RSVP: www.rhizomedc.org/new-events/2...
LILAC PERIL PRESENTS trans writing workshop with guest instructor CONNIE JIN SATURDAY, August 23 at 10 am Rhizome DC 6950 Maple St NW, Washington, DC 20012 workshop topic: comics q&a and workshop Learnabout making nonfiction comics from professional comics journalist, and leave with a mini comic of your own! We'll start with an introduction to this kind of storytelling and end with a beginner-friendly exercise to start making your own comics, with room for questions. Supplies will be provided. guest instructor: CONNIE JIN Connie Jin (they/them) is an artist, visual journalist and dancer based in Washington D.C. They write and publish comics through NPR, in addition to creating data visualizations and graphics for news stories. Recently, they spent time in Joshua Tree National Park researching for a graphic novel as an artist in residence with the National Park Service. You can usually find them dancing, whether it's in their kitchen or in a studio. Who is this workshop for? trans, non-binaty, and Two-Spirit writers of all experience levels. we welcome you whether its your 1st or 100th workshop. how much does it cost? nothing! the workshop is 100% free to all. Why should I go? to build community, to fight despair, and to get inspired for that writing project you've been meaning to work on.
August 1, 2025 at 9:20 PM
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The proof is in ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

TABOO is currently being printed by the worker-owned Radix Co-Op, and we couldn’t be more excited!!!

Pre-order now: lilacperil.bigcartel.com/product/issu...
A red book with an angel sketch. It reads: Lilac Peril. TABOO, issue 01. Edited by Luke Sutherland and Andrea Morgan. A long list of contributors on the back of a red book A book open to the short story “how to make friends” by hyunji A book open to text and a black and white image of graffiti that reads “art is for god!”
July 30, 2025 at 7:11 PM
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A cohort of 8 writers will workshop up to 25 pages of prose (fiction or nonfiction), facilitated by LS Low. Apply by 8/15: bit.ly/FallWritingSeminar
A flyer that reads: How is this different from our other events? Our monthly workshops are typically noncontinuous, standalone master class style courses that occur on weekends. Our Wednesday writing group is a pop in/pop out, free write accountability session. Often our writing group and workshops have a remote or online option to join. This seminar aims to build community through meeting in person and reading and commenting on each other's work. You must be able to attend all five sessions in person. We are open to switching the location and time if a majority of participants would prefer a different time, day, or setting, though all participants must be able to make the newly designated time and location, else we will stick with Tuesdays from 6:00pm-7:45pm at Mt. Pleasant Public Library. A flyer that reads: the facilitator - LS Low. LS Low is a fiction writer who explores gender as an act of transformation through time, embodiment and relationships. They have received support from the Tin House Summer Workshop and The Kenyon Review, among others and currently lead Lilac Peril's Wednesday writing group. Outside of writing, LS traverses DC almost entirely by bike and collects an alarming number of stickers. They hold a degree in mathematics from Smith College. A flyer that reads: Community Guidelines. ~ Writing will not be shared beyond the bounds of the seminar, unless by the original writer ( i..e., what is discussed will remain amongst seminar participants) ~ Any form of bigotry will result in immediate removal from the seminar.
July 27, 2025 at 7:20 PM
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Get ready to get seminar’ed 🖤🌟 we’re hosting a 5 week workshop-style seminar for trans prose writers in the DC area!
A flyer that reads: LILAC PERIL PRESENTS the Fall Writing Seminar for DC trans prose writers. FIVE WEEKLY MEETINGS STARTING IN SEPTEMBER facilitated by LS Low. apply by August 15! A flyer that reads: What’s it all about? Join us in a five week long workshop style seminar for trans and gender non-conforming prose writers in the DMV area. We will select up to eight participants, each sharing one piece of prose to be workshopped by peers and a facilitator. The goal of the seminar is to build community among local non-cis writers, create a nurturing space for creative experimentation, and discuss each other's work with rigor and attention. A flyer that reads: date and time. Mt. Pleasant Public Library from 6:00 pm - 7:45 pm every Tuesday running from 9/16 to 10/14. Who is it for? Any trans or gender expansive writer with up to 25 pages of prose they are hoping to workshop and solicit feedback on. Whether this is your first ever workshop or you've been part of many workshops in an institutionalized setting, we want you in this space! What does it cost? nothing! it's free :) what genres? Any prose, fiction or nonfiction. How are participants selected? We will draw names out of a hat. Please fill out the form before 8/15 to be considered. You won't need to submit your piece to be workshopped until 8/30. When will if I know if I’ve been selected? We will notify everyone by 8/20. If you have been selected, you will have between 8/20 and 8/30 to submit your piece to be workshopped. If we don't receive your piece by midnight on 8/30 we will raffle your spot in the seminar off to another participant. Register at BIT.LY/FALLWRITINGSEMINAR
July 27, 2025 at 7:20 PM
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Limited physical copies will be available this weekend at the Readers Fair
DEMYSTIFICATION AND HERMETIC STATE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT THE Readers Fair CELEBRATING DIY CULTURE AND INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING. Featuring 25+ vendors, workshops, and curated programming. JULY 5TH a THE LINE HOTEL 11-7PM
July 1, 2025 at 4:45 PM
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We’re pumped to table at the wonderful Readers Fair next weekend! 11 am - 7 pm at The Line Hotel in AdMo. Long live local diy print culture 📖🫡
DEMYSTIFICATION AND HERMETIC STATE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT THE... Readers Fair CELEBRATING DIY CULTURE AND INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING. Featuring 25+ vendors, workshops, and curated programming. JULY 5TH at THE LINE HOTEL 11-7PM
June 26, 2025 at 9:31 PM
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Alternatively, whatever was going on with Sarah Palmer:
Sarah Palmer in Twin Peaks lifting her face off to reveal another, scarier one
June 2, 2025 at 8:30 PM