Official website of award-winning LGBTQ+ literary salon
polari
Image by Justin David
Polari at Southbank
Image by Justin David
March 25 - Polari at Huddersfield Literature Festival 7-8.45pm. £3-£7
With Polari Prize winner Joelle Taylor, Adam Lowe and Will Belshah.
April 22 - Aladdin Sane's Queer Legacies at The Purcell Room, Southbank Centre.
Curated and chaired by Paul Burston with writer Golnoosh Nour, artist Mark Wardel, author Jamie Windust and live music from Kit Green.
May 11 - Polari at Eagle London 7pm-late. £8/£10
With Susie Boyt (Loved and Missed) and Harry Nicholas (A Trans Man Walks into a Gay Bar).
May 17 - Polari at Bath Festival at Komedia, Bath. 8-10pm. £9-£22
With Paul Burston (We Can Be Heroes), Polari Prize 2022 winner Joelle Taylor (Cunto) and singing sensation Miss Hope Springs.
LATEST NEWS
In these uncertain times, you can support Polari’s vital work by buying us a coffee HERE
POLARI PRIZE 2023
For more info, see Polari Prize in menu above.
POLARI ON TOUR
In October 2021, Polari completed its largest tour to date, supported by a grant from Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts. Originally planned as a 22 date tour, the tour included 25 dates, many of them online as a result of the pandemic.
The Polari Prize Tenth Anniversary Tour showcased writers nominated for the 2020 and 2021 Polari Prize awards for emerging and established LGBTQ+ literary talent, in addition to winners from the Prize’s proud – now twelve year – history, dating back to 2011.
The tour kicked off at Huddersfield Literature Festival in March 2020 and ended on October 30 2021 when the latest Prize winners were announced as part of the London Literature Festival.
The tour also included events in Brighton, Edinburgh, Manchester and at London’s famous nightclub Heaven and legendary LGBTQ+ venue The RVT.
BACKGROUND
Founded by author Paul Burston, Polari began in 2007 in a bar in Soho.
In 2009, we moved to London’s Southbank Centre.
Since 2014, we’ve also toured regularly, funded by Arts Council England.
We’ve appeared in bars and clubs, at book festivals, libraries, museums and theatres.
We also host events online.
There’s a brief history of Polari on our YouTube channel HERE
There’s a history of our touring activities HERE
There’s a history of The Polari Prize HERE
For a taste of recent events, you can listen to the Polari podcast HERE
Writers and performers who’ve appeared at Polari include Adele Anderson, Amrou Al-Kadhi, Jake Arnott, Neil Bartlett, Dustin Lance Black, John Boyne, Russell T Davies, Juno Dawson, Maureen Duffy, Stella Duffy, Carey Wood-Duffy, Janet Ellis, Cerys Evans, Bernardine Evaristo, Patrick Gale, Rosie Garland, Nikita Gill, Salena Godden, Niven Govinden, Garth Greenwell, Alexis Gregory, Saleem Haddad, Mari Hannah, Philip Hensher, Celia Imrie, Juliet Jacques, Keith Jarrett, Jackie Kay, VG Lee, Kirsty Logan, David McAlmont, John McCullough, Val McDermid, Karen McLeod, Andrew McMillan, Paul McVeigh, Charlotte Mendelson, Fiona Mozley, Musa Okwonga, Okechukwu Nzelu, Diriye Osman, Juno Roche, Ali Smith, Diana Souhami, Andrea Stuart, Joelle Taylor, Tracey Thorn, Paula Varjack, Sophie Ward, Sarah Waters and Mohsin Zaidi.
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
Events
March 25 - Polari at Huddersfield Literature Festival. 7-8.45pm. £3-£7
Hosted by Paul Burston with Polari Prize winner Joelle Taylor, Adam Lowe and Will Belshah.
April 22 - Aladdin Sane's Queer Legacies at The Purcell Room, Southbank Centre.
Curated and chaired by Paul Burston with writer Golnoosh Nour, artist Mark Wardel, author Jamie Windust and live music from Kit Green.
May 11 - Polari at Eagle London. 7pm-late. £8/£10.
Hosted by Paul Burston with Susie Boyt (Loved and Missed) and Harry Nicholas (A Trans Man Walks Into A Gay Bar)
May 17 - Polari at Bath Festival. 8-10pm. £9-£22.
With Paul Burston (We Can Be Heroes), Polari Prize winner Joelle Taylor (Cunto and Othered Poems) and singing sensation Miss Hope Springs.
PRAISE FOR POLARI
"The most exciting literary movement in London... crackling with energy, ideas, excitement"
HUFFINGTON POST