The polari prizes LONGLIST 2025
Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the UK and Ireland’s only dedicated prize for LGBTQ+ literature has announced its 2025 longlists for the Polari Book Prize and Polari First Book Prize, celebrating a wealth of genres and forms, including poetry, memoir, crime and thriller, and romantasy.
The Polari First Book Prize 2025 Longlist
Isaac by Curtis Garner (Verve Books)
Revolutionary Acts: Love & Brotherhood in Black Gay Britain by Jason Okundaye (Faber)
Queer as Folklore by Sacha Coward (Boundless)
I Cannot Be Good Until You Say It by Sanah Ashan (Bloomsbury)
Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg (Tinder Press)
Bloodsongs by Mae Diansangu (Tap Salt Eerie)
A Bookshop of One’s Own by Jane Cholmeley (Mudlark)
Unsuitable: A History of Lesbian Fashion by Eleanor Medhurst (Hurst)
The Diaries of Mr Lucas by Hugo Greenhalgh (Atlantic Books)
Mongrel by Hanako Footman (Footnote Press)
Impossible Heat by Ciara Maguire (Bad Betty Press)
A Place of Our Own by June Thomas (Little Brown)
The Polari Book Prize 2025 Longlist
Earth by John Boyne (Doubleday)
Like Water Like Sea by Olumide Popoola (Cassava Republic Press)
Nude Against a Rock by Robert Hamberger (Waterloo Press)
May Day by Jackie Kay (Picador)
Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst (Picador)
Person Unlimited by Dean Atta (Canongate)
Pity by Andrew McMillan (Canongate)
girls etc by Rhian Elizabeth (Broken Sleep Books)
The Last Doorbell by William Parker (Deixis Press)
Lifting Off by Karen McLeod (Muswell Press)
Calling My Deadname Home: The Trans Bear Diaries by Avi Ben Zeev (Muswell Press)
3000 Lesbians Go to York by Jane Traies (Tollington Press)
The shortlists will be announced in late September, and the winners will be announced at a ceremony on Thursday 27th November at the British Library.
In celebration of its 15th anniversary, Arts Council England are funding the Polari Prize 15th Birthday Showcase, a live platform for LGBTQ+ writers featuring previous winners and nominees, local writers and new emerging voices. There will be over 30 events in total, with destinations including Bradford, Brighton, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Huddersfield, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle.
The Polari Prizes are helped made possible by the three-year sponsorship of easyJet holidays, which aims to enhance their shared commitment to promoting queer voices and stories. The partnership sees the merging of two distinct brands in a mutual goal of amplifying literature exploring the LGBTQ+ experience. The collaboration will also see a series of new creative initiatives, including further funding for the annual prize ceremony, prize giveaways and audience outreach. As part of their sponsorship, this year both winners will receive the prize of a package holiday of their choice from easyJet holidays.
Paul Burston, founder of the Polari Prizes, said: “As the Polari Prize enters its 15th year, there’s never been a better time to celebrate LGBTQ writing. We received a record number of submissions this year, from a wide range of writers working in many different genres. The judges really had their work cut out. We couldn’t be prouder of this year’s long lists. From dazzling debuts to exciting new books by writers at the top of their game, there’s something here for everyone.”
Garry Wilson, CEO at easyJet holidays, comments: “We’re proud to continue supporting the Polari Prizes as it celebrates a remarkable 15th anniversary. Together, we remain deeply committed to championing diversity, equity, and inclusion. As part of this inspiring initiative, we look forward to discovering and amplifying even more LGBTQ+ voices and stories in 2025.”