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The '''Polari Prize''' is the UK's leading literary award for LGBT writing, established in 2011 by writer and journalist Paul Burston through the Polari Salon, a monthly LGBT literary event he founded in London. The prize takes its name from [[Polari]], the argot used by gay men in Britain for much of the twentieth century. It is awarded annually and since 2019 has comprised multiple categories.

==History==

Paul Burston launched the Polari First Book Prize in 2011 as part of the Polari Salon, which he had established as a recurring literary event providing a platform for LGBT writers. The First Book Prize recognises debut works by authors born or working in the UK and Ireland.

In 2019 a second category was introduced — the Polari Prize for Book of the Year — recognising any outstanding LGBT work regardless of whether it is a debut. In 2024 a third category, the Polari Children's and Young Adult Prize, was added.

In 2025 the prize was paused following controversy over the inclusion of author John Boyne on the longlist for the Book of the Year. The decision prompted mass withdrawals by other nominees and judges. Organisers subsequently committed to increasing representation of trans and gender non-conforming people among the judging panels.

==First Book Prize winners==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Author !! Title !! Publisher
|-
| 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
|-
| 2019 || Angela Chadwick || ''XX'' || Dialogue Books
|-
| 2020 || Amrou Al-Kadhi || ''Life as a Unicorn'' || Fourth Estate
|-
| 2021 || Mohsin Zaidi || ''A Dutiful Boy'' || Square Peg
|-
| 2022 || Adam Zmith || ''Deep Sniff'' || Watkins
|-
| 2023 || Jon Ransom || ''The Whale Tattoo'' || Muswell Press
|-
| 2024 || Nicola Dinan || ''Bellies'' || Penguin Books
|}

==Book of the Year winners==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Author !! Title !! Publisher
|-
| 2019 || Andrew McMillan || ''playtime'' || Jonathan Cape
|-
| 2020 || Kate Davies || ''In the Deep End'' || HarperCollins
|-
| 2021 || Diana Souhami || ''No Modernism Without Lesbians'' || Head of Zeus
|-
| 2022 || Joelle Taylor || ''C+nto & Othered Poems'' || The Westbourne Press
|-
| 2023 || Julia Armfield || ''Our Wives Under the Sea'' || Pan Macmillan
|-
| 2024 || Jon Ransom || ''The Gallopers'' || Muswell Press
|}

==Children's and Young Adult Prize winners==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Author !! Title !! Publisher
|-
| 2024 || Sarah Hagger-Holt || ''The Fights That Make Us'' || Usborne
|}

==See also==

*[[Polari]]
*[[LGBT literature]]

[[Category:LGBT culture]]
[[Category:Literary awards]]
[[Category:LGBT history]]