Rosie Garland, Paul McVeigh, Joelle Taylor and Keio Yoshida are among the 12 writers longlisted for the Polari Book Prize 2026.

Writers longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize 2026 include Roxy Bourdillon, Desree, Fiona Keating and Majid Parsa.

The Polari First Book Prize was founded in 2011 and is awarded annually to a debut book that explores the LGBTQ+ experience, and has previously been won by writers including Kirsty Logan, Amrou Al-Kadhi, Diriye Osman, Mohsin Zaidi, Adam Zmith and Nicola Dinan. The Polari First Book Prize 2026 is sponsored by Hastings Crime Writing Festival. The winner receives £1000.

The Polari Book Prize was founded in 2019 and has previously been awarded to Andrew McMillan, Kate Davies, Diana Souhami, Joelle Taylor, Julia Armfield and Jon Ransom.
The Polari Book Prize 2026 is sponsored by DHH Literary Agency. The winner receives £2000.

The Polari Prizes 2026 are made possible by the three-year headline sponsorship of easyJet Holidays, which aims to enhance their shared commitment to promoting queer voices and stories.

Judges for the Polari Book Prize 2026 are: literary critic Suzi Feay, Dr Gurmit Singh of Lancaster Literature Festival, Katy Jon Went of The Human Library, and Garry Wilson, CEO of easyJet Holidays.

Judges for the Polari First Book Prize 2026 are: poet Alice Denny, poet and ‘Bard of Exeter’ Casey Garfield, literary agent David H Headley, and writer Rachel Holmes.

The Polari First Book Prize 2026 Longlist

The Ayatollah’s Gaze by Majid Parsa – Neem Tree Press
What A Girl Wants by Roxy Bourdillon – Bluebird
Where You Go, I Will Go by Christina Fonthes – Tinder Press
Altar by Desree – Bad Betty Press
Summer Hours by Alessandra Thom – Polygon
Pig by Matilde Pratesi – Corsair
Prairie Oyster by Sophie Robinson – Fleet
Crowd Work by Sam Furlong – Macha Press
Smoke and Silk by Fiona Keating – Headline
A Family Matter by Claire Lynch – Vintage
I’m Fine by Richard Hall – Eye Books
Miss Veal and Miss Ham by Vikki Heywood – Muswell Press

Poet Casey Garfield said, “It’s been an absolute pleasure being part of the judging panel. There are books on this list it was immediately clear would be universally championed. There are books on this list I’ve seen through new lenses in order to better understand my fellow judge’s perspectives. And while there were books I’ve fallen in love with that didn’t make the list, a world made purely for Casey Garfield would be a worse one for everyone involved, and I’m incredibly proud to have my name attached to the end result. There’s no single queer experience and no single queer story, so I’m thrilled to have been a part of celebrating this collection of books diverse in their genres, themes and stories, while united by a common spirit.”

Writer Rachel Holmes said, “This year’s long list is an intriguingly eclectic and nuanced crop. I particularly love the broad sweep across all genres. It’s bracing, exciting and confident.”

Poet Alice Denny said, “Reading the submissions for this year’s Polari First Book Prize has been an intensely enjoyable, testing and truly humbling experience – such are the astounding talents of such varied writers, treating the reader to delightful storytelling, dizzying plots, passages of sublime poetic imagery. They exude humanity with courageous honesty, bringing elation, joy, heartbreak and terror. To compare, contrast and rank them was a daunting task.”

The Polari Prize 2026 Longlist

The Decadence by Leon Craig – Sceptre
Pride and Prejudices: Queer Lives and the Law by Keio Yoshida – Scribe
This Is How I Fight by Rosie Garland – Nine Arches Press
Green Ink by Stephen May – Swift Press
I Hear You by Paul McVeigh – Salt
On the Boardwalk by Martin Sherman – Inkandescent
The Light of Day by Christopher Stephens & Louise Radnofsky – Headline
Maryville by Joelle Taylor – Bloomsbury Poetry
Our Better Natures by Sophie Ward – Corsair
Well Done, You Didn’t Die by Max Wallis – Verve Poetry Press
Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin – Titan Books
Six Conversations We’re Scared to Have by Deborah Frances-White – Virago

Katy Jon Went said, “I was impressed by the quality of evocative and emotive writing, traversing a diverse range of literature from historic and political fiction to gothic, horror, and romance, alongside moving and varied poetry and short stories. I was pleasantly surprised and inspired to see some significant non-fiction contributions from memoir to human rights activism across the LGBTQ+ spectrum.”

Dr. Gurmit Singh said, “Judging this year’s submissions was a delightfully filthy business. The sheer, unrepentant talent on display proves that while the world outside keeps collapsing, queer literature is only getting hotter, sharper, and utterly unapologetic.”

This year’s shortlists will be announced on 3rd November 2026.

The winners will be announced on 30th November 2026 at the Polari Prize ceremony at Heaven nightclub, London. See Events