The Polari Prize is the UK’s first and largest LGBTQ+ book award. Established to promote writing that explores the LGBTQ+ experience, Polari also focuses on amplifying diverse voices through a series of literary events, including the regularly touring Polari Salon.

Memoir, fiction, and vibrant poetry collections from a mixture of small presses and larger publishers are all recognised in the shortlists for this year’s Polari Prize and Polari First Book Prize, the UK’s only dedicated awards for LGBTQ+ literature. 2022 saw a record number of submissions of an incredible breadth and quality, showcasing a wide constituency of talent in LGBTQ+ writers.

Paul Burston, Polari Salon founder and Chair of Judges said: "This year’s shortlists are our strongest yet - a reflection on the enormous rise in submissions and the quality and diversity of books entered this year. There are many genres represented - poetry and prose, fiction and non fiction. Each book speaks to the ethos of the prize, exploring aspects of the LGBTQ+ experience past or present. Each book is of the highest quality. Deciding on the winners is going to be a tough call."

The Polari Prize Shortlist, which celebrates an overall Book of the Year, excluding debuts, this year particularly spotlights a dazzling selection of poetry, including part-memoir, part-conjecture, C+nto and Othered Poems by Joelle Taylor, a definitive biography of Valentine Ackland, written by Frances Bingham, and Golnoosh Nour, who is shortlisted for the second year in a row, this time for Rocksong.

Stunning fiction is also recognised in Beth Lewis’s compelling thriller about one woman’s journey in fleeing an abusive relationship and confronting the secrets of her past, The Origins of Iris, which LoveReading awarded a Star Book and Neil Bartlett’s cycle of stories exploring hope in the strangest of places, Address Book.

The Polari First Book Prize is awarded annually to a debut book that explores the LGBTQ+ experience, and has previously been won by writers including Kirsty Logan, Amrou Al-Kadhi, Diriye Osman, and last year’s winner Mohsin Zaidi for his coming-of-age memoir A Dutiful Boy: A Memoir.

Miriam Margolyes is on the shortlist with her memoir This Much Is True, on which LoveReading commented: "The cheekiest of our national treasures shares her life story, and it'll make your hair curl!" It's joined by Deep Sniff which we read, and reviewed: "This personal, perky, well-researched history of poppers is an illuminating addition to queer culture literature."

The Polari Prize also awards an overall book of the year, excluding debuts, and previous winners include Andrew McMillan (Playtime), Kate Davies (In At the Deep End) and last year’s winner Diana Souhami for No Modernism Without Lesbians.

To mark the salon’s 15th birthday and the 11th anniversary of the Polari Prize, it will move to its new home at the British Library in 2022, beginning with a shortlist showcase event on 15th September at the British Library. Tickets and further information are available here: https://www.bl.uk/events/polari-prize-shortlist-showcase

THE POLARI FIRST BOOK PRIZE SHORTLIST 2022

These Great Athenians – Valentine Carter 

Lessons in Love and other Crimes – Elizabeth Chakrabarty 

All The Things She Said – Daisy Jones 

This Much is True – Miriam Margolyes 

Deep Sniff – Adam Zmith

THE POLARI PRIZE SHORTLIST 2022

Address Book – Neil Bartlett 

Valentine Ackland – Frances Bingham 

The Origins of Iris – Beth Lewis 

Rocksong – Golnoosh Nour

C+nto and Othered Poems – Joelle Taylor 

We are running a competition to win the shortlist which you are welcome to enter here.