polari

LATEST NEWS

Polari has completed a major tour, funded by Arts Council England and taking in 20 destinations across the UK – and beyond. The Polari Prize Tour kicked off in November 2018 at London's Southbank Centre and continued until October 22, 2019, when this year's Prize winners were announced as part of London Literature Festival. 

​

The tour included events in Archway, Bradford, Brighton, Edinburgh, Huddersfield, Manchester, Morecambe, Newcastle, Norwich, St Albans, Stoke Newington and Mallorca. Plus there was a special event to mark 40 years of London's legendary LGBT nightclub Heaven.

​

For details of upcoming events, see Coming Up or follow us on Twitter @polarisalon

​

BACKGROUND

​

Founded by author Paul Burston, Polari began in 2007 in a bar in Soho. Since 2009, we've been based at London's Southbank Centre. We also tour regularly, funded by Arts Council England.

​

Writers and performers who've appeared at Polari include Adele Anderson, Jake Arnott, Dean Atta, Neil Bartlett, Dustin Lance Black, John Boyne, Maureen Duffy, Stella Duffy, Cerys Evans, Bernardine Evaristo, Patrick Gale, Alexis Gregory, Saleem Haddad, Mari Hannah, Philip Hensher, Celia Imrie, Juliet Jacques, Keith Jarrett, Jackie Kay, VG Lee, Kirsty Logan, John McCullough, Andrew McMillan, Val McDermid, Karen McLeod, Paul McVeigh, Fiona Mozley, Diriye Osman, PJ Samuels, Joelle Taylor, Tracey Thorn, Paula Varjack and Sarah Waters.

​

Polari was named Cultural Event of the Year in the Co-op Respect Loved By You Awards 2013.

​