2024 Polari Prize shortlists announced

Independent publishers dominate the Polari Prize shortlists, with poetry, literary fiction and a graphic novel featured across the two adult shortlists.

Tales of transition feature strongly on the Polari First Book Prize shortlist, which includes Bellies, a tender and compassionate tale of transitioning by Nicola Dinan and Transitional, the acclaimed memoir from the model and activist Munroe Bergdorf. Also shortlisted are two coming of age tales set in small towns: the Nero Book Awards-shortlisted Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth, an adolescent love story set in Ireland; and Neon Roses by Rachel Dawson, set in South Wales during the miners’ strike. Also set in South Wales is Local Fires by Joshua Jones, a stunning and lively series of interconnected tales which resolve around the misadventures of the inhabitants of Llanelli. Rounding off the shortlist is Greekling, the much-anticipated debut poetry collection by Kostya Tsolakis, in which Greek culture, history and poetry intertwines with the contemporary queer experience.