Polari First Book Prize Winner Announced

Author: William Johnson

November 16, 2013

Polari, the London based LGBT literary salon, recently announced the winner of their First Book Prize. This year’s winner is Mari Hannah for her book Murder Wall (Pan Macmillan).

The winner of the 2013 Polari First Book Prize was announced [on Nov 13]  at the Polari literary salon at the Southbank Centre.

The prize is for a first book which explores the LGBT experience and is open to any work of poetry, prose, fiction or non-fiction published in the UK in English within the twelve months of the deadline for submissions (this year Feb 1, 2013). Self-published works in both print and digital formats are eligible for submission.

The Polari First Book Prize is also pleased and proud to announce a new sponsor, Société Générale UK LGBT Network, who donated £1000 prize money to the winner of this year’s prize. The media partner for the prize is Square Peg Media, publishers of g3 and Out In The City magazines.

The judges this year are:

Paul Burston (Chair of Judges) – author, journalist and host of Polari

Bidisha – writer, critic and broadcaster

Suzi Feay – literary critic

Rachel Holmes – author and former Head of Literature at the Southbank Centre

VG Lee – author and comedian

Joe Storey-Scott – books buyer

The Polari First Book Prize 2013 shortlist:

‘The Murder Wall’ by Mari Hannah (Pan Macmillan)

‘Tony Hogan Bought Me An Icecream Float Before He Stole My Ma’ by Kerry Hudson (Chatto & Windus)

‘The Sitar’ by Rebecca Idris (self-published ebook)

‘Catching Bullets – Memoirs of a Bond Fan’ by Mark O’Connell (Splendid Books)

‘The Tale of Raw Head & Bloody Bones’ by Jack Wolf (Chatto & Windus)