Sapphic September

Challenge
Challenge
General information
Name	Sapphic September
Moderator(s)	Violet storm, CoraWritesThings (formerly AveryWritesThings)
Founder(s)	most likely femslashfeb on Tumblr
Specifications
Fandom(s)	multifandom
Date(s)	2016~2017 - present
Type	open to any fanwork
Additional Information
Associated Community	sapphic september tag on Tumblr
External Links	sapphic-septemberArchived version Tumblr blog
	Related articles on Fanlore.
	Contents 1 History 1.1 2016-2017: Beginnings; 1.2 2018-2019: Moderator Changes; 1.3 2020-present: Current Moderators; ; 2 Fanworks Produced; 3 Sapphic September works 3.1 2016; 3.2 2017; 3.3 2018; 3.4 2019; 3.5 2020; 3.6 2021; 3.7 2022; 3.8 2023; 3.9 2024; ; 4 Notes; 5 References;

Sapphic September is an open multifandom challenge that calls on fans to create fanworks of any kind (fanfic, fanart, fan vids, graphics, podfics, cosplays, etc.) featuring sapphic ship(s) during the month of September.^{[note 1]} Sapphic September most likely started on either Tumblr or LiveJournal,^{[note 2]} two major hubs of fannish activity.

History

2016-2017: Beginnings

The earliest fic posted to AO3 under the Sapphic September tag dates back to 2016. However, there were not any prompts created specifically for a Sapphic September challenge until 2017. The first use of Sapphic September in this sense comes from a Tumblr blog called wlw-create in 2017. It was aimed at original art submissions only and was not directly connected to fandom. The creator also preferred that only wlw-identified artists participated in the challenge, especially if they used the NSFW prompts.^[1]

A week later, femslashfeb (a Tumblr blog for Femslash February, a similar multifandom challenge that focuses on sapphic/femslash ships and has been around since 2013) posted a different set of prompts here with the caption:

Any world, any medium, as long as there’s girl love
Just do what you can and have fun!
I’ll be watching the tag #SaphSep2017 so make sure to tag in the first 5 tags with that so I can find you to reblog^[2]

2018-2019: Moderator Changes

In 2018 and 2019, the challenge underwent an unofficial change in moderators. the-crownless-queen and golden-queen-writes on Tumblr teamed up to create some new annual prompts, available here (2018) and here (2019). The rules were slightly different than those stated in the first year:

In order to celebrate all the wonderful canon and fanon femslash pairings, @the-crownless-queen and I [golden-queen-writes] have teamed up to make a list of prompts!
The Rules:
1. Drawing, aesthetic edits and writing (200 word minimum) are all acceptable!
2. For each day, you have the option of doing either prompt or using both in one fic.
3. All fics must have a sapphic pairing, but I’m sure that’s self-explanatory.
4. Both writing and drawing are acceptable!
5. Fanfiction only, please.
6. Please tag #SapphicSeptember2018 and #SapphicSeptember within the first five tags.^[3]

A different set of prompts, aimed at drabble writers, was also posted in 2019 by stargazing-enby on Tumblr here, with the caption:

Sapphic September prompts for all of you wlw ship lovers who want to write some nice wlw drabbles this September 😊
You get two prompts per day of the month: a dialogue line and a one-word prompt. Feel free to choose one, to write something for each, or to combine them both if you find a way!
If you use the tag #sapphicseptember2019 when posting I’d be really grateful! Wanna see what comes out of these 😋
Warning: some of the following prompts are/can be read as mature.^[4]

2020-present: Current Moderators

In 2020, Violet storm and CoraWritesThings (formerly known as AveryWritesThings) took up the mantle of creating and sharing prompts for Sapphic September.

For the first two years, they crossposted the prompts on their Tumblr accounts. Since 2022, the prompts have been streamlined and posted through a single blog, sapphic-september on Tumblr.

The 2025 post describes the contest rules as follows:

Welcome to Sapphic September 2025!
These prompts are open to any fandom and any medium as long as the works center sapphic, WLW/NBLW, F/F+, or femslash ship(s). There are no other rules — you can use all, some, or only one of the prompts; do one or more a day or spread them out; begin late or post them after September; or mix ‘n’ match prompts; it’s up to you!
Make sure to tag your work(s) with #sapphicsept2025 or #Sapphic September 2025 so that others can find your contributions and to spread the word!^[5]

Fanworks Produced

Fanworks created for Sapphic September can be found in several places, most notably on Tumblr and AO3, with some fanworks posted on sites like Dreamwidth, FFN, and Wattpad, as well.