{{Short description|LBGTQ+ literary award}} {{Use British English |date=August 2025}} {{Use dmy dates |date=August 2025 }} The '''Polari Prize''' is an annual UK literary prize for LGBTQ+ literature. Established by Paul Burston and the Polari Salon, the prize has been awarded annually since its launch in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Polari Prize |url=https://www.polarisalon.com/polari-prize |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Polari Salon |language=en }}</ref>
* The '''Polari First Book Prize''' is restricted to first books by writers who were born or work in the UK and Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Polaris Salon |url=https://www.polarisalon.com/ |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Polari Salon |language=en }}</ref> * In 2019 a further award was introduced, the '''Polari Prize for Book of the Year'''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2019-10-23 |title=Chadwick, McMillan win 2019 Polari Prizes |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2019/10/23/141543/chadwick-mcmillan-win-2019-polari-prizes/ |access-date=2023-10-03 |work=Books+Publishing }}</ref> * In 2024 a '''Polari Children's & YA Prize''' was awarded to ''The Fights That Make Us'' by Sarah Hagger-Holt, published by Usborne Books.
== Polari First Book Prize == {| class="wikitable sortable" ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Author ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Publisher ! scope="col" | Ref. |- ! 2011 | James Maker | ''AutoFellatio'' | Inkandescent | |- ! 2012 | John McCullough | ''The Frost Fairs'' | Salt Publishing | |- ! 2013 | Mari Hannah | ''The Murder Wall'' | Pan Macmillan | |- ! 2014 | Diriye Osman | ''Fairytales for Lost Children'' | Angelica Entertainment | |- ! 2015 | Kirsty Logan | ''The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales'' | Salt Publishing | |- ! 2016 | Paul McVeigh | ''The Good Son'' | Salt Publishing | |- ! 2017 | Saleem Haddad | ''Guapa'' | Europa Editions | |- ! 2018 | Fiona Mozley | ''Elmet'' | John Murray | <ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-23 |title=''Elmet'' wins 2018 Polari First Book Prize |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2018/10/23/117943/mozley-wins-2018-polari-first-book-prize/ |access-date=2023-10-03 |publisher=Books+Publishing}}</ref> |- ! 2019 | Angela Chadwick | ''XX'' | Dialogue Books | <ref name=":0" /> |- ! 2020 | Amrou Al-Kadhi | ''Life as a Unicorn'' | Fourth Estate | <ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2020-10-16 |title=Davies, Al-Kadhi win 2020 Polari Prizes |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2020/10/16/158078/davies-al-kadhi-win-2020-polari-prizes/ |access-date=2023-10-03 |publisher=Books+Publishing}}</ref> |- ! 2021 | Mohsin Zaidi | ''A Dutiful Boy'' | Square Peg | <ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2021-11-01 |title=Souhami, Zaidi win 2021 Polari Prizes |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2021/11/01/195900/souhami-zaidi-win-2021-polari-prizes/ |access-date=2023-10-03 |publisher=Books+Publishing}}</ref> |- ! 2022 | Adam Zmith | ''Deep Sniff'' | Watkins | <ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2022-11-16 |title=Taylor, Zmith win 2022 Polari Prizes |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2022/11/16/223459/taylor-zmith-win-2022-polari-prizes/ |access-date=2023-10-03 |publisher=Books+Publishing}}</ref> |- ! 2023 | Jon Ransom | ''The Whale Tattoo'' | Muswell Press | <ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Creamer |first=Ella |date=2023-11-24 |title=Julia Armfield and Jon Ransom win the Polari prizes for LGBTQ+ books |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/nov/24/julia-armfield-and-jon-ransom-win-the-polari-prizes-for-lgbtq-books |access-date=2023-11-25 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> |- ! 2024 | Nicola Dinan | ''Bellies'' | Penguin Books | <ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Knight |first=Lucy |date=2024-11-29 |title=Jon Ransom wins second Polari prize in two years with The Gallopers |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/nov/29/jon-ransom-wins-second-polari-prize-in-two-years-with-the-gallopers |access-date=2024-12-02 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> |}
== Polari Prize for Book of the Year == {| class="wikitable sortable" ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Author ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Publisher ! scope="col" | Ref. |- ! 2019 | Andrew McMillan | ''playtime'' | Jonathan Cape | <ref name=":0" /> |- ! 2020 | Kate Davies | ''In the Deep End'' | HarperCollins | <ref name=":1" /> |- ! 2021 | Diana Souhami | ''No Modernism Without Lesbians'' | Head of Zeus | <ref name=":2" /> |- ! 2022 | Joelle Taylor | ''C+nto & Othered Poems'' | The Westbourne Press | <ref name=":3" /> |- ! 2023 | Julia Armfield | ''Our Wives Under the Sea'' | Pan Macmillan | <ref name=":4" /> |- ! 2024 | Jon Ransom | ''The Gallopers'' | Muswell Press | <ref name=":5" /> |}
== Polari Prize for Children's and Young Adult Works == {| class="wikitable" |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Author ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Publisher ! scope="col" | Ref. |- ! 2024 | Sarah Hagger-Holt | ''The Fights That Make Us'' | Usborne | <ref>{{Cite web |title=Jon Ransom wins second Polari Prize |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/jon-ransom-wins-second-polari-prize |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=The Bookseller |language=En}}</ref> |}
==2025 controversy== <!--Per WP:BLPSELFPUB do not use social media sources for contentious claims about living persons, such as their opinions on contentious topics, unless the posts are verified as being by the people they're attributed to. Twitter verification is not reliable enough for this purpose.--> In August 2025, after the inclusion of John Boyne’s ''Earth'' on the Book of the Year longlist, Nicola Dinan resigned as a judge of the Prize and several authors requested they be withdrawn from the longlist.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-07 |title=Polari Prize faces backlash for including 'TERF' author John Boyne on 2025 longlist |url=https://www.scenemag.co.uk/polari-prize-faces-backlash-for-including-terf-author-john-boyne-on-2025-longlist/ |access-date=2025-08-09 |website=Scene Magazine |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Out in Perth 2025-08-09">{{Cite news |date=2025-08-09 |title=Polari Prize longlist announced but authors launch protest action over inclusion of John Boyne |url=https://www.outinperth.com/polari-prize-longlist-announced-but-authors-launch-protest-action-over-inclusion-of-john-boyne/ |access-date=2025-08-09 |work=OutInPerth |language=en-AU |quote=Author Sacha Coward has asked for his book ''Queer as Folklore'' to be removed, as has Mae Diansangu who was included for her debut novel ''Bloodsongs''. Jason Okundaye has withdrawn his work ''Revolutionary Acts: Love & Brotherhood in Black Gay Britain'', and Amy Twigg author of ''Spoilt Creatures'' pulled her book from contention too. }}</ref><ref name="Assigned Media 2025-08-11">{{Cite news |url=https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/polari-prize-lgbtq-authors-withdraw-protesting-john-boyne-inclusion |title=Queer Authors Withdraw From Writing Prize En Masse Over Inclusion of Self-Proclaimed TERF |first=Evan |last=Urquhart |work=Assigned Media |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250811125055/https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/polari-prize-lgbtq-authors-withdraw-protesting-john-boyne-inclusion |date=2025-08-11 |archive-date=2025-08-11 |access-date=2025-08-11 }}</ref> {{As of|2025|8|15|post=,}} 10 of the 12 nominees for the First Book Prize,<ref name="Out in Perth 2025-08-09"/><ref name="Assigned Media 2025-08-11"/><!--<ref name="Sarah Ahsan 2025-08-10">{{Cite Instagram |first=Sanah |last=Ahsan |user=sanah_ahsan |postid=DNK1wc0NDbj |date=2025-08-10 |title=Hello. I'm withdrawing my book from The Polari Prize. Forgive me for being a bit late to all of this. Been offline as part of preparing for the trip to Palestine in September 🇵🇸 🏳️⚧️ In solidarity with the other writers stepping back – buy their books!! X |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-10 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250810121351/https://www.instagram.com/p/DNK1wc0NDbj/ |archive-date=2025-08-10 }}</ref><ref name="Ciara Maguire 2025-08-10">{{Cite Instagram |author=Bad Betty Press |user=badbettypress |postid=DNJG8zAMS8f |date=2025-08-09 |title=Sharing some poems from Ciara Maguire's Impossible Heat, published by @littlebettybbp [Little Betty] last year. Ciara recently withdrew her book from the Polari First Book Prize, in response to the inclusion of a self-proclaimed TERF on Polari's main list. [...] |access-date=2025-08-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250810163909/https://www.instagram.com/p/DNJG8zAMS8f/ |archive-date=2025-08-10 }}</ref>--> 6 of the 11 other Book of the Year nominees<ref name="Assigned Media 2025-08-11"/><!--<ref name="Olúmìdé Pópóọlá 2025-08-10">{{Cite web |first=Olúmìdé |last=Pópóọlá |author-link=Olúmìdé Pópóọlá |url=https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18134633395431828 |title=I have also withdrawn from the Polari long list. Had waited to meet with others for a collective statement (which might still come) but in the meantime I had to do what I felt was right all along |via=Instagram Stories |date=2025-08-10 |access-date=2025-08-10 }}--><!-- Cannot archive from Instagram Stories, but screenshot at https://bsky.app/profile/owenblacker.bsky.social/post/3lw2hkzgiis24 --><!-- </ref>--><!--<ref name="Robert Hamberger 2025-08-09">{{Cite Instagram |first=Robert |last=Hamberger |author-link= |user=hambergerrobert |postid=DNJjNoTsmxP |date=2025-08-09 |title=It has been an honour for me that my book ''Nude Against A Rock'' was longlisted for the Polari Book Prize. However, I have tonight asked for my book to be withdrawn from the longlist. [...] |access-date=2025-08-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250810125247/https://www.instagram.com/p/DNJjNoTsmxP/ |archive-date=2025-08-10 }}</ref>--><!--<ref name="Rhian Elizabeth 2025-08-09">{{Cite Instagram |first=Rhian |last=Elizabeth |author-link= |user=rhianelizabeth_poet |postid=DNIvPgrN4JF |date=2025-08-09 |title=sorry for my radio silence. i hope you will understand that it's been a stressful few days. love to everyone who has been upset by this mess. ps please ignore my typo 🤣 *amends #polariprize #girlsetc |access-date=2025-08-09 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250810122110/https://www.instagram.com/p/DNIvPgrN4JF/ |archive-date=2025-08-10 }}</ref>--> and two of the judges<ref name="Out in Perth 2025-08-09"/><!--<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bsky.app/profile/vavapoetry.bsky.social/post/3lvzn6unses2n |title=Hello. Quick update-I've withdrawn as a judge for the Polari First Book Prize. [...] |first=Bob |last=Hughes |publisher=Instagram Stories |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250810140658/https://bsky.app/profile/vavapoetry.bsky.social/post/3lvzn6unses2n |date=2025-08-09 |archive-date=2025-08-10 |access-date=2025-08-10 |first=Mae |last=Diansangu |website=Bluesky }}</ref>--> had requested their withdrawal, with two further Book of the Year nominees criticising Boyne's inclusion but stating that they will not be withdrawing.<ref name="Assigned Media 2025-08-11"/> <!--BLP claim based on an open file sharing service, which is not reliable: Irish author Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin organised an open letter, noting that -->Boyne had previously described himself in the ''Irish Independent'', with reference to J. K. Rowling, as a "fellow TERF".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books-arts/book-news/john-boyne-on-jk-rowling-as-a-writer-im-in-awe-of-her-achievements-as-a-reader-i-love-her-work-and-as-a-fellow-terf-i-stand-four-square-behind-her/a857888465.html |title=John Boyne on JK Rowling: 'As a writer, I'm in awe of her achievements. As a reader, I love her work. And as a fellow Terf, I stand four-square behind her' |work=Irish Independent |date=2025-07-27 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250728123325/https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books-arts/book-news/john-boyne-on-jk-rowling-as-a-writer-im-in-awe-of-her-achievements-as-a-reader-i-love-her-work-and-as-a-fellow-terf-i-stand-four-square-behind-her/a857888465.html |archive-date=2025-07-28 |access-date=2025-08-10 }}</ref> An open letter and petition by authors Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin and Emma van Straaten called on the prize to withdraw Boyne from the longlist was signed by over 800 writers and people in the publishing industry;<ref name="Irish Times 2025-08-18">{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/2025/08/18/literary-prize-cancels-annual-award-following-backlash-over-inclusion-of-irish-author-john-boyne/ |title=Polari literary prize cancels award following backlash over Irish author John Boyne |first=Hosanna |last=Boulter |work=The Irish Times |date=2025-08-18 |access-date=2025-08-19 }}</ref> <!--WP:BLP: Need reliable source to include this claim. Google Docs, as an open file sharing service, is not that: Irish author Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin had organised an open letter stating that "Mr Boyne's public statements on trans rights and identity are incompatible with the LGBTQ+ community’s most basic standards of inclusion".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfe8SgwGycvDaXMHHzoRkuYDDbABS_R7-0EgsVN1QMMBKYl0w/viewform |title=Author statement on the Polari Prize longlist |first=Niamh |last=Ní Mhaoileoin |date=2025-08-08 |access-date=2025-08-10 |via=Google Docs }}</ref>--> other authors speaking out against Boyne's longlisting included Patrick Ness.<ref>{{Cite Instagram |first=Patrick |last=Ness |author-link=Patrick Ness |user=patricknessbooks |postid=DNfl1FERrSl |date=2025-08-18 |title=Turns out most people aren’t transphobes and don’t like being associated with it. |access-date=2025-08-19 }}</ref><!--WP:BLPSELFPUB: This Bluesky account is not authenticated: <ref>{{cite web |url=https://bsky.app/profile/patricknessbooks.bsky.social/post/3lvisl5ied22b |title=This has gone quite wide, here & on insta. I’m talking about John Boyne and the Polari Prize. Boyne said in his paean to Rowling last week in the ''Irish independent'' that women who support trans rights are 'complicit in their own erasure' and 'ready to pin down a handmaiden as her husband rapes her.' |first=Patrick |last=Ness |author-link=Patrick Ness |date=2025-08-03 |access-date=2025-08-10 |via=Bluesky }}</ref>--><!--BLP claims based on unreliable sources: people criticising the authors who withdrew themselves from contention included Malcolm Clark, a founder of the LGB Alliance,<ref>{{Cite tweet |author=Malcolm Clark |author-link= |user=TwisterFilm |number=1954554252530946484 |date=2025-08-10 |title=These are the 'writers' who withdrew from the Polari Prize. Yeah me neither. No wonder they were angry about an actual writer being on the long list. 🤣 |access-date=2025-08-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250810202623/https://x.com/TwisterFilm/status/1954554252530946484 |archive-date=2025-08-10 }}</ref> and writers J. K. Rowling<ref>{{cite tweet |first=J. K. |last=Rowling |author-link=J. K. Rowling |user=jk_rowling |number=1954125428337016969 |title=Oh, fuck off. I hope everyone buys twice as many @JohnBoyneBooks, a) because he’s brilliant, and b) to piss off the Gender Taliban. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250809104802/https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1954125428337016969 |date=2025-08-09 |archive-date=2025-08-09 |access-date=2025-08-10 }}</ref> and Julie Bindel.<ref>{{Cite tweet |first=Julie |last=Bindel |author-link=Julie Bindel |user=bindelj |number=1954129913096643045 |date=2025-08-09 |title=[...] @JohnBoyneBooks, who is a personal friend, but who I would support even if he were the ambassador for eating crisps on trains, is worth millions of any of those whingeing idiots that dare to think they can hold the prize to ransom by the usual bullying and smear tactics. Of course, they will 'win'. But really the win belongs to those of us that could not give a damn about being censored by these pricks any longer. Watch this space for a further announcement. Lesbians and gay men deserve our own space, including in the literary prize world... |access-date=2025-08-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250809160703/https://x.com/bindelj/status/1954129913096643045 |archive-date=2025-08-09 }}</ref>-->
On 18 August 2025, the organisers announced they would "pause" the prize for 2025. In a statement, the organisers said they "condemn all forms of transphobia" and would now "increase representation of trans and gender non-conforming judges on panels and undertake a governance and management review".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Simpson |first1=Craig |title=Book prize ‘paused’ after trans backlash over gender-critical nominee |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/18/book-prize-paused-trans-backlash-nominee/ |access-date=18 August 2025 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=18 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=McIntosh |first1=Steven |title=Organisers cancel book prize over trans controversy |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyvme385e6o |access-date=18 August 2025 |work=BBC News Online |date=18 August 2025}}</ref> In an op-ed in ''The Daily Telegraph'' the following day, Boyne expressed disappointment that nobody from the Polari Prize had contacted him throughout what he described as a "literary scandal".<ref name="Telegraph 2025-08-19">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/john-boyne-heres-what-happened-when-they-tried-to-cancel-me/ |title=Here’s what happened when they tried to cancel me |first=John |last=Boyne |work=The Daily Telegraph |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250819094423/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/john-boyne-heres-what-happened-when-they-tried-to-cancel-me/ |date=2025-08-19 |access-date=2025-08-19 |archive-date=2025-08-19 }}</ref>
== See also ==
* List of LGBTQ literary awards * Edmund White Award * Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Debut Fiction
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:First book awards Category:LGBTQ literary awards Category:Awards established in 2011 Category:2011 establishments in the United Kingdom