This year’s prizes are dominated by queer women and non-binary authors
BY YASMIN VINCE, IMAGE BY MARIANO VIVANCO
The Polari Prizes, the UK and Ireland’s only dedicated prize for LGBTQIA literature, has announced its shortlists for the 2024 awards. Across all three shortlists, queer women and non-binary authors make up over half of the nominees, from Monroe Bergdorf to Lex Croucher.
The shortlist for the First Book Prize features four women out of the six nominees. This includes model and trans activist Munroe Bergdorf, who is nominated for her autobiographical book Transitional: In One Way Or Another We All Transition.
Rachel Dawson has been nominated for Neon Roses, a contemporary romance set during 1984’s miners’ strike. She and Bergdorf are joined by Chloe Michelle Howarth, nominated for contemporary romance Sunburn, and Nicola Dinan, nominated for Bellies.
Viola Di Grado has been nominated for the Polari Book Prize. Her book, Blue Hunger, is the story of queer love and obsession set against the backdrop of Shanghai.
The Children’s and YA shortlist is also stacked with queer women and non-binary authors. Lex Croucher has been nominated for Gwen & Art Are Not In Love, their queer reimagining of the story of King Arthur and Guinevere. The book was incredibly popular on TikTok, as was Bitterhorn, for which Kat Dunn has been nominated.
Sarah Hagger-Holt has been nominated for The Fights That Make Us and Sophie Cameron for Away With Words.
Polari Prizes founder Paul Burston said: “This year’s shortlists celebrate the diversity and richness of LGBTQ literary talent in the UK and Ireland today.”
The Polari Prize winners’ ceremony will return to the British Library for a third year on Friday 29 November.
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