Longlists revealed for Polari Prizes including new children’s and YA award

Books by Shon Faye, Juno Dawson, Alan Cumming and Alice Oseman have been longlisted for the 2022 Polari Prizes for LGBTQ+ literature following a record number of submissions. 

Among those up for the Polari Prize, which celebrates an overall book of the year, are Alan Cumming for Baggage (Canongate), Frances Bingham for Valentine Ackland (Handheld Classics), Golnoosh Nour for Rocksong (Verve Poetry Press) and Isavel Costello for Scent (Muswell Press). Last year’s winner was Diana Souhami for No Modernism Without Lesbians (Head of Zeus).

Longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize, which celebrates an outstanding debut, are, among others, Shon Faye for The Transgender Issue (Penguin), Laura Kay for The Split (Quercus), Miriam Margolyes for This Much is True (John Murray) and Amia Srinivasan for The Right to Sex (Bloomsbury).

Previous winners of the Polari First Book Prize have included Kirsty Logan, Amrou Al-Kadhi, Diriye Osman and last year’s winner Mohsin Zaidi for A Dutiful Boy: A Memoir (Square Peg).

Named in the inaugural year of the children’s and YA category for a book published in the past 24 months are Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s Ace of Spades (Usborne), Juno Dawson’s Stay Another Day (Quercus) as well as What’s the T? (Wren & Rook) and Erin Ekins’ Queerly Autistic (Jessica Kingsley).

Of the brand new Polari Children’s and YA longlist, chair of the judges Jodie Lancet-Grant said: “It was a total delight to read so many brilliant, joyous and uplifting queer books for children and young people. It is so important that all children see themselves and their families reflected in the stories they read and how lucky we are that so many talented authors and illustrators are helping us do just that.”

Paul Burston, Polari Salon founder, said: “Since the launch of the Polari First Book Prize way back in 2011, watching the awards grow year on year has been so encouraging and so rewarding. With the addition of the new prize for books for younger readers, the awards now celebrate LGBTQ+ writing in all its many varieties and send a clear message to the publishing industry and the wider community – we’re here, we’re queer and our stories are worthy of being told.”

The Polari First Book Prize and Polari Prize shortlists will be announced on 1st September at The Printworks, Hastings. The Polari Children’s and YA Prize shortlist will be announced on 10th September at the Book Nook, Hove.

In November, 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. The British Library will also collaborate with Polari on upcoming events.

The full longlists for each category are as follows: 

The Polari First Book Prize

Camp Fear – Tom Bland (Bad Betty Press)
These Great Athenians – Valentine Carter (Twenty Seven)
Lessons in Love and other Crimes – Elizabeth Chakrabarty (The Indigo Press)
The Transgender Issue – Shon Faye (Penguin)
All The Things She Said – Daisy Jones (Coronet)
The Split – Laura Kay (Quercus)
Fetch Your Mother’s Heart – lisa luxx (Out-Spoken Press)
This Much is True – Miriam Margolyes (John Murray)
The Right to Sex – Amia Srinivasan (Bloomsbury)
Rotten Days in Late Summer – Ralf Webb (Penguin)
The Go-Between – Osman Yousefzada (Canongate)
Deep Sniff – Adam Zmith (Repeater Books)

The Polari Prize

Address Book – Neil Bartlett (Inkandescent)
Valentine Ackland – Frances Bingham (Handheld Press)
Scent – Isabel Costello (Muswell Press)
Baggage – Alan Cumming (Canongate)
Lullaby Beach – Stella Duffy (Virago)
All of You Every Single One – Beatrice Hitchman (Serpent’s Tail)
The Great Good Time – Roz Kaveney (Team Angelica)
The Origins of Iris – Beth Lewis (Hodder)
Rocksong – Golnoosh Nour (Verve Poetry Press)
C*nto and Othered Poems – Joelle Taylor (Saqi Books / The Westbourne Press)
The Dinner Guest – BP Walter (One More Chapter)
Records of an Incitement to Silence – Gregory Woods (Carcanet)

The Polari Children’s and YA Prize

Ace of Spades – Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Usborne)
The Accidental Diary of B.U.G – Jen Carney (Puffin)
Wranglestone – Darren Charlton (Little Tiger)
Adam-2 – Alastair Chilsholm (Nosy Crow)
Stay Another Day – Juno Dawson (Quercus)
What’s the T? – Juno Dawson (Wren & Rook)
Nen and the Lonely Fisherman – Ian Eagleton and James Mayhew (Owlet Press)
Queerly Autistic – Erin Ekins (Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating – Adiba Jaigirdar (Hodder)
Loveless – Alice Oseman (HarperCollins)
Not My Problem – Ciara Smyth (Andersen)
Grandad’s Camper – Harry Woodgate (Andersen)