Official website of award-winning LGBTQ+ literary salon
polari
Image by Justin David
Polari at Southbank
Polari at Southbank
Image by Justin David
LATEST NEWS
Polari has been awarded a grant from Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts, to fund a major 22 date tour.
The Polari Prize Tenth Anniversary Tour will showcase writers long and shortlisted for this year’s Polari Prize awards for emerging and established LGBTQ+ literary talent, as well as past winners from the Prize’s ten year history, dating back to 2011.
The tour will kick off at Huddersfield Literature Festival on March 25 and end in October 2021.
The centrepiece of the tour will be a special event at London’s Southbank Centre, when this year’s Prize winners will be announced as part of London Literature Festival.
The tour will also include events in Birmingham, Bradford, Canterbury, Edinburgh, Newcastle, York and at London’s legendary nightclub Heaven and gay sauna Sweatbox Soho.
NOT - Due to Covid-19 many events are taking place online.
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.
There’s a brief history of Polari on our YouTube channel HERE
There’s a brief history of Polari on tour HERE
Writers and performers who’ve appeared at Polari include Adele Anderson, Amrou Al-Kadhi, Penny Arcade, Jake Arnott, Dean Atta, Neil Bartlett, Dustin Lance Black, John Boyne, Russell T Davies, Maureen Duffy, Stella Duffy, Cerys Evans, Bernardine Evaristo, Patrick Gale, Garth Greenwell, Alexis Gregory, Saleem Haddad, Mari Hannah, Philip Hensher, Celia Imrie, Keith Jarrett, Jackie Kay, VG Lee, Kirsty Logan, David McAlmont, John McCullough, Andrew McMillan, Val McDermid, Karen McLeod, Paul McVeigh, Fiona Mozley, Must Okwonga, Diriye Osman, PJ Samuels, Ali Smith, 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.
“Always fun, always thought-provoking – a guaranteed great night out” - Sarah Waters
“Lively, funny and inspiring – a gay-themed salon of interest to anyone remotely interested in literature, whatever their sexual bent” – Patrick Gale
Coming up
Thur May 6 - Polari Live Online 7pm. £5 (+ booking fee)
With Sophia Blackwell, Salena Godden and Polis Loizou.
Wed May 19 - Polari In Heaven 7pm. £12 (+ booking fee)
With Ian Elmslie, Alexis Gregory, VG Lee, PJ Samuels and Joelle Taylor.
Tue May 25 - Creative Writing Course 7pm. £60 for six weeks
With award-winning author and writing coach Karen McLeod and Polari founder Paul Burston.
Fri June 4 - Polari at The RVT 7pm. £8 (+ booking fee)
With singer, actress and trans icon Adèle Anderson and writer and performer Cerys Evans.
Photography and artwork by Justin David
Photography and artwork by Justin David
PRAISE FOR POLARI
"The most exciting literary movement in London... crackling with energy, ideas, excitement"
HUFFINGTON POST
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