Joelle Taylor’s C+nto & Othered Poems, about butch lesbian tradition, wins Polari prize | Books

Spoken phrase poet Joelle Taylor has received the Polari e-book prize for her assortment which “defends our proper to stroll with out worry, put on what we select, be who we uniquely are”.

C+nto & Othered Poems, which explores the UK’s underground lesbian tradition, was named the winner of the £2,000 prize, which is the highest award within the UK’s solely devoted awards for LGBTQ+ literature. It’s the second main award for the e-book, which received the TS Eliot prize earlier this year.

The Polari first e-book prize was awarded to Adam Smith’s debut Deep Sniff, a e-book in regards to the historical past of poppers and their position in queer life.

Journalist and creator Paul Burston, who based the prizes, mentioned that each books “pay tribute to important components of LGBTQ+ cultural historical past that are all too typically neglected.

“These are books as battle cries, as triumphs over adversity, as shamelessly homosexual gossip and the pursuit of delight despite all of the heartaches of the previous,” he added.

C+nto & Othered Poems began as a spoken-word poem about butch lesbian counterculture. Taylor’s years of partying and protesting in London impressed the e-book, and in an interview with the Guardian she mentioned that “whereas it was a really oppressive time, it galvanised us and introduced us all collectively”.

Diana Souhami, who received the 2021 prize and was a decide this 12 months, mentioned that Taylor has a “Midas contact with phrases”.

“C+nto will open eyes, hearts and minds,” she added. “Right here is poetry that defends our proper to stroll with out worry, put on what we select, be who we uniquely are.”

Kate Kellaway, reviewing the book in the Observer, mentioned it’s “a passionate reconjuring of Nineteen Eighties-90s butch lesbian counterculture in London”.

Smith wins £1,000 for the primary e-book prize, for a e-book Burston – who served as chair of judges for the Polari prize on each panels – mentioned was “a witty, nicely researched and floor breaking e-book which honours our queer previous whereas additionally trying to the long run”.

The primary e-book prize was judged by creator Rachel Holmes, poets Keith Jarrett and Sophia Blackwell and 2021 prize winner Mohsin Zaidi.

The general prize was judged by creator VG Lee, literary critic Suzi Feay, Chris Gribble of the Nationwide Centre for Writing and Souhami.

The inaugural Polari kids’s & YA prize was received by Nen and the Lonely Fisherman by Ian Eagleton and James Mayhew.

The e-book is a few merman referred to as Nen who ventures to the forbidden world above and meets Ernest, a lonely fisherman.

Writer and chair of the judges for the prize, Jodie Lancet-Grant, mentioned the e-book “does one thing vital and radical by centring a queer love story in an image e-book for younger kids”.

“The story is revolutionary and transferring, and the art work actually gorgeous,” she added. The winners have been introduced in a ceremony held on the British Library.