Polari Prize 2026 longlists reveal this year’s LGBTQ+ book contenders

The 2026 Polari Prize longlists have been announced, highlighting a diverse selection of books exploring LGBTQ+ lives, relationships, identity and society.

The awards include the main Polari Prize and the Polari First Book Prize, which recognises debut books. This year's selections bring together established authors and emerging writers across fiction, poetry, memoir and non-fiction.

The main prize longlist includes The Decadence by Leon Craig, Pride and Prejudices: Queer Lives and the Law by Keio Yoshida, This Is How I Fight by Rosie Garland and Green Ink by Stephen May.

Other titles on the list include Maryville by Joelle Taylor, Our Better Natures by Sophie Ward, Well Done, You Didn't Die by Max Wallis and Six Conversations We're Scared to Have by Deborah Frances-White.

The First Book Prize longlist includes What A Girl Wants by Roxy Bourdillon, Where You Go, I Will Go by Christina Fonthes, Altar by Desree and Summer Hours by Alessandra Thom. The selection also features A Family Matter by Claire Lynch, Crowd Work by Sam Furlong and I'm Fine by Richard Hall.

The two categories offer different routes to recognition, celebrating both writers with established careers and authors publishing their first books. Together, the longlists reflect the range of literary work engaging with LGBTQ+ experiences, from personal and family relationships to questions of law, identity and belonging.

The Polari Prize has become a recognised platform for LGBTQ+ writing, helping bring books and authors to the attention of readers, booksellers and the wider literary world. The longlists also provide readers with an opportunity to discover titles across different genres rather than focusing on one type of LGBTQ+ story.

The shortlists are due to be announced on 3 November, with the winners scheduled to be revealed at a ceremony at Heaven nightclub in London on 30 November.

The next stage will narrow the selections to the books competing for this year's awards, ahead of the ceremony later in the month.