Acclaimed LGBTQ books to add some rainbow to your reading list
The Polari Prizes are awarded for LGBTQ+ books written by authors who are born or based in the UK and Ireland. Polari marks its 10th anniversary in 2020, making it a special year for the award. Paul Burston, the founder, and chair of both judging panels praised the exceptional writing talent, diverse styles and subject matter on show in this year’s shortlists.
The judges for the Polari Prize are inaugural prize winner Andrew McMillan, who won the 2019 award for his poetry collection 'Playtime', alongside Suzi Feay, Chris Gribble, and VG Lee. The winner of this award shall receive a cheque for £2,000. The submission fee is £15.
Here are the shortlisted books for the Polari Prize:
Blue Wallpaper by Robert Hamberger
This is an anthology of poems, which explore masculinity, sexuality, love in all it's forms, aging and so on.
Photo: Waterloo Press
Mama’s Boy: A Story from Our Americas by Dustin Lance Black
'Mama’s Boy' is a memoir, following the activist and Oscar-winner Dustin Lance Black's relationship with his mother. He is known for his screenplay Milk which won an Oscar and helped overturn California’s anti–gay marriage Proposition 8 and it's nice to see his personal journey for surely it will resonate with many. His mother was raised in rural Lousiana. Dustin came out to her at the age of 21 and she thought his sexuality sinful. However, he is determined to change her mind.
Photo: Knopf
This Brutal House by Niven Govinden
Several mothers from different drag houses hold a silent protest. For long they have taken in and raised LGBTQ+ children who had to leave their heteronormative houses. Suddenly many of these children have gone missing and no one seems to care. The police use this opportunity to question their lifestyle rather than help with the problem so, now feeling like they're past words, they stage a silent protest.
This book also made to the shortlist for the Gordon Burn Prize.
Photo: Dialogue Books
Things We Say in the Dark by Kirsty Logan
This is a collection of short stories. All of them have some darkness in the tale, it's not a book for the faint hearted. The stories are diverse but many seem to explore the many fears women have.
Photo: Harvill Secker
In At The Deep End by Kate Davies
This book follows a girl in her early twenties called Julia who's dissatisfied with her life. Her job, her therapist's advice and especially her love life seem lacking. Then one day she meets a conceptual artist named Sam and finds herself falling for a woman for the first time. We follow her sexual awakening as she explores her sexuality and learns about both the good and bad of different sexual avenues.
Photo: The Borough Press
Trans Power: Own Your Gender by Juno Roche
This book is a must read for all transgenders. It explores several facets of gender and it's expectations an how several influential figures who are in the trans community deal with it. Through intimate conversations with these people the author explores what it means to be trans and what gender is.
Photo: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
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