Organisers of the Polari Prize, the United Kingdom’s prominent annual award for LGBTQ+ literature, have announced that the 2025 prize will not be awarded following a storm of controversy over the nomination of Irish author John Boyne. The decision, made public on August 18, 2025, marks the first time in the prize’s fourteen-year history that it has been paused, leaving the literary community both divided and reflective about the future of inclusion, free expression, and representation in LGBTQ+ spaces.
The origins of this year’s turmoil can be traced back to July 27, when Boyne, best known for his acclaimed novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, published an article in the Irish Independent supporting JK Rowling’s contentious stance on trans rights and women’s spaces. In the piece, Boyne, who is openly gay, described himself as a “fellow Terf”—the acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist—and argued that Rowling had been “pilloried” for her views. He went further, suggesting that women who disagreed with Rowling were “astonishingly complicit in their own erasure,” even drawing a stark comparison to the dystopian world of The Handmaid’s Tale. “Rowling’s critics claim she is transphobic, the greatest sin of our time, and use the usual tedious hyperbole to demonise her,” Boyne wrote, adding that Rowling’s advocacy on issues such as women’s entitlement to safe spaces had encouraged her supporters.
Just days later, on August 1, the Polari Prize longlist was announced, featuring Boyne’s latest novel, Earth. The inclusion of Boyne’s work immediately sparked backlash among fellow nominees and the broader literary community. According to BBC News, more than ten of the twenty-four longlisted authors—including Sacha Coward, Mae Diansangu, and Jason Okundaye—swiftly withdrew their books in protest. Okundaye, writing in The Guardian, described Boyne’s views as “abhorrent” and said he felt “misled about the principles underpinning the organisation.” Coward stated he could not “continue in good faith” to participate in an event meant to “celebrate inclusion, not exclusion and division.” Diansangu called Boyne’s views “disgusting.”
The protest quickly grew beyond the longlist. Over 800 figures from the publishing industry signed an open letter expressing “profound disappointment” at Boyne’s nomination, labeling his comments “inappropriate and hurtful” and “incompatible with the LGBTQ+ community’s most basic standards of inclusion.” Among the most significant ripples was the resignation of Nicola Dinan, last year’s First Book award winner and a judge on this year’s panel, who stepped down in protest. The only trans author on the longlist, Dr. Avi Ben-Zeev, chose to remain, telling PinkNews, “There is nothing more trans-exclusionary... than to see people like me disappear... if I walk away, I’m erasing my trans story.”
As the controversy escalated, the Polari Prize organisers initially defended their decision to include Boyne, stating, “Even within our community, we can at times hold radically different positions on substantive issues. This is one of those times.” They stressed their commitment to inclusion, adding, “While we do not eliminate books based on the wider views of a writer, we regret the upset and hurt this has caused.”
Boyne, for his part, stood by his views and thanked the Polari Prize for “standing strong in the face of extraordinary intimidation.” He revealed the toll the backlash had taken on him, writing, “I came very close to the edge this week because of the endless harassment at the hands of both strangers and fellow writers. There’s really only so much abuse one person can take. However, I’m still here. Because I have too many books in me that I still want to write.” Boyne also encouraged the authors who had withdrawn to return to the longlist, suggesting that if they did, he would ask the judges not to advance his own book to the shortlist.
Despite these efforts at reconciliation, the situation proved irreparable. On August 18, the Polari Prize organisers announced the cancellation of the 2025 award. In a statement, they said, “What was supposed to be a celebration of exceptional LGBTQ+ literature has been overshadowed by hurt and anger, which has been painful and distressing for all concerned. We apologise to everyone who has been affected.” The organisers explained that after consulting with authors, judges, stakeholders, and funders, they had decided to “pause the prize this year while we increase the representation of trans and gender non-conforming judges on the panels” and undertake a governance and management review. They added, “Polari is not and has never been a trans exclusionary organisation. These are not our values and we condemn all forms of transphobia.”
The fallout from the cancellation has reverberated throughout the literary and LGBTQ+ communities. The LGB Alliance, a group critical of trans activism, condemned the decision. Its chief executive, Kate Baker, told The Telegraph, “The TQ+ lobby corrupts everything it touches. This year there will be no winner of the Polari Prize, no celebration of fantastic LGB authors, no one’s career boosted… All because a few activists found the reality of same-sex attraction—and a gay man’s defence of it—too offensive.”
Others saw the episode as emblematic of deeper tensions within publishing. August 2025 also witnessed controversies over the role of sensitivity readers and the ejection of gender-critical musician Louise Distras from a streaming platform, as well as debates about the marketing of LGBTQ+ events. The Polari Prize’s decision, then, is not an isolated incident but part of a broader cultural reckoning over the boundaries of inclusion, free speech, and the meaning of community.
Founded in 2011 by journalist Paul Burston and the Polari Salon, the Polari Prize has become a cornerstone for writers born or based in the UK and Ireland who explore LGBTQ+ experiences. Initially launched as a prize for best first book, it expanded in 2019 to include an overall book of the year. Its stated aim has always been to celebrate the diversity and richness of LGBTQ+ literature, providing a platform for both emerging and established voices.
The organisers have expressed hope that the Polari Prize will return in 2026, promising to “endeavour to find a way forwards in good faith.” They have committed to exploring the tensions between freedom of expression and the need to create inclusive and supportive spaces, particularly for trans and gender non-conforming members of the community. As the literary world waits to see what changes will emerge from this pause, the Polari Prize’s future stands as a test case for how institutions navigate the increasingly complex intersection of identity, advocacy, and artistic freedom.
For now, the absence of a 2025 Polari Prize winner serves as a stark reminder of the challenges—and the stakes—involved when communities seek to balance competing values of inclusion, expression, and solidarity.
