THE UK’S ONLY PRIZE FOR DEBUT LGBT WRITING CELEBRATES ITS TEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY AS IT OPENS SUBMISSIONS FOR 2020 AWARDS
Polari Solan also returns from March with 22 date tour supported by Arts Council England.
The UK’s leading LGBT literary salon Polari marks a decade of championing fresh literary talent this year as submissions open for its flagship First Book Prize. The award for debut writers launched in 2011 and is the only one of its kind in the UK. It will return in 2020 alongside the new Polari Prize, introduced last year, which honours an overall best book of the year.
The Polari Literary Salon was founded in the room above a Soho bar in 2007 by novelist and activist Paul Burston. One of the founding editors of Attitude magazine, Burston has been named one of ‘33 visionary people promoting freedom, equality, and LGBT rights around the world’ by the British Council and his career includes a number of successful novels including, most recently, The Closer I Get (Orenda, July 2019).
From humble beginnings, the Salon has gone from strength to strength, now drawing hundredstrong crowds to its residency at London’s Southbank Centre and touring twenty UK towns and cities last year, including world-famous nightclub Heaven and its first international event in Mallorca. It returns in 2020 with twenty-two date tour, supported by generous funding from Arts Council England.
The salon’s renowned First Book Prize, which has seen record entries over the past few years, including an increasing number from large publishers, was launched by Burston in 2011 to improve diversity in the UK literary scene and celebrate the debut achievements of writers exploring the LGBT experience. It has enjoyed huge success in showcasing LGBT writing as a popular and profitable target for publishers, with thanks to support from retail partners at WH Smiths and author appearances on the Salon tour.
Founder Paul Burston said:
“When we launched the Polari First Book Prize in 2011, we couldn’t have imagined the wealth of LGBTQ+ literary talent out there. In ten years we’ve seen an enormously diverse range of writers win the prize, many of whom have gone on to become mainstream successes. Mari Hannah and John McCullough are just two examples. As we mark our tenth anniversary with our biggest tour yet, we’re grateful to the Arts Council and our sponsors for their continued support and excited at the prospect of discovering new and ever more diverse voices.”
Leading literary PR consultancy FMcM Associates will continue its sponsorship of the Polari First Book Prize, with winners receiving a cheque for £1,000.
The winner will be chosen by a distinguished panel of authors and industry professionals, also announced today, including novelist Angela Chadwick, who won in 2019 for her dystopian thriller XX, alongside Rachel Holmes, Cerys Evans, and Keith Jarrett.
In its second year, The Polari Prize will continue to be sponsored by D H H Literary Agency, with the winner receiving a cheque for £2,000.
The judging panel includes inaugural prize winner Andrew McMillan, who won with his intimate poetry collection Playtime, alongside Suzi Feay, Chris Gribble, and VG Lee. Both prize panels will be chaired by founder, journalist and author Paul Burston.
Longlists will be revealed on June 23 and shortlists on July 31, with the winners being crowned in October, all taking place at the Southbank Centre.
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Notes to Editors
Books must have been published in English by a writer born or resident in the UK. Books must have been published in the 12 months up to February 1, 2019. Self-published works in print formats are also eligible.
Works should be submitted by the publisher, while self-published works should be submitted together with a letter explaining why the book was self-published.
The Polari First Book Prize enjoys a strategic partnership with WH Smiths Travel, who support the shortlisted books and winner throughout their stores nationwide.
The award has been covered in a wide range of publications including Metro, the Guardian, the i, Irish Independent, Press Association, Gay Times, Winq and BBC Radio.
The Polari First Book Prize was launched in 2011 and previous winners include Fiona Mozley, Saleem Haddad, Paul McVeigh, Kirsty Logan, Diriye Osman, John McCullough, Mari Hannah, James Maker and Angela Chadwick.
The Polari Prize, founded in 2019, was awarded to Andrew McMillan in its inaugural year.
Polari’s UK tour 2020 is funded by Arts Council England and the following dates are confirmed:
March 25 - Huddersfield Literature Festival
March 26 - York Literature Festival
May 19 - Heaven, London
June 23 - Longlist at Southbank Centre
July 31 - Shortlist at Southbank Centre
Sep 25 - Royal Vauxhall Tavern aka The RVT
October date TBC - Prize Night at London Literature Festival
Date TBC - The Printworks, Hastings
For further details on the tour and prize and tour, please visit https://www.polarisalon.com/
For all media enquires please contact Ashton Bainbridge at FMcM Associates on 0207 405 7422 or ashtonb@fmcm.co.uk.
