A messy love life, a no-so-innocent bride-to-be, Greeks bearing gifts and "the gay utopia of Peckham"

It's been a busy weekend (as predicted), beginning on Friday - as John-John and I trolled off to Vauxhall for the first outing in 2022 of "London's premiere literary salon" Polari at the RVT. It didn't disappoint!

Our host-with-the-most Paul Burston was like an expectant father as he took to the stage, but without further ado he introduced our first guest Laura Kay, to read us an extract from her latest work Tell Me Everything. The blurb for the book described the story thus:

Would you entrust your life choices to someone hell-bent on avoiding theirs?

Natasha has everything under control, at least that's what her clients think. As a therapist, she has all the answers but when it comes to her personal life, she seriously needs to start taking her own advice.

Still living with her ex-girlfriend, Natasha's messy love life is made up of dates and one-night stands. After all, why would you commit to one person, when there is an endless stream of people waiting for you to swipe right? Besides, people always leave.

The piece she read for us was a funny account of one of those situations where you find yourself on a stiflingly dull evening out with an individual whose conversation is boring, personality is annoying, yet is a great fuck, so you persist [been there] - and the payoff for the book's protagonist Natasha certainly sounded like it was worth it...

Very enjoyable, indeed.

click any photo to embiggen

As one of the advertised readers the faboo Paul Bailey was unwell and unable to attend, Mr Burston "played the part of 'older white man'", reading an extract from his forthcoming memoir We Can Be Heroes; a vignette about how one's passion can cloud the reality about a person's true intentions, and how one should never trust the declarations of undying love from a "Greek bearing gifts". Here's a little promo Paul has made by way of a "teaser" for the much-awaited autobiography...

Paul Burston - We Can Be Heroes

Completing the triumvirate of speakers, it was the turn of the ever-charming Diriye Osman, winner of the 2014 Polari First Book Prize, who, excitedly, gave us a preview of his soon-to-be-published new anthology of short stories The Butterfly Jungle - a salacious, gossipy snippet in which our hero/narrator/breaker of the "third wall" Migil recounts the tale of an acquaintance, a South London Somali cab driver, who sends home to his family for a "suitable young bride".

However, despite first appearances, the "innocent girl" who arrives is actually anything but; surreptitiously (and loudly) satisfying her own needs with local builders - much to the horror of their religious neighbour, who blows the whistle on the goings-on - she eventually leaves for pastures new to bag herself a rich husband, and is eventually spotted much later by the cuckolded cabbie in Mayfair, clad in designer clothing and living in evident luxury...

It was brilliantly written (and read), as we have come to expect of the flamboyant Mr Osman!

The second half, after a break for a fag, a top-up, and a bit of a gossip with regular Emma (without hubby Toby, who has unfortunately broken his collarbone), took the by-now familiar format of an informal discussion with Mr Burston and the authors.

Ms Kay talked about how lesbian literature has taken a turn in recent times, away from historical fiction to more tales of relationships between women in modern settings, and how her own work has been compared to contemporary women's fiction writers - indeed, journalist and fellow writer Matt Cain described her stories as "It’s like meeting Marian Keyes and Dawn O’Porter in a cosy gay pub in Sheffield!"

The conversation between Mr Osman and Paul touched on myriad subjects that covered race and perceptions of gay life in minority communities, and - remarkably - what a "queer/gay centre of the universe" Peckham (of all places) has become!

Sadly, the evening's entertainment flew by, and was over too soon.

Can't wait for the next one...

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There is, however, a further piece of great news about Polari (which Mr B hinted at throughout the evening) that has just been revealed. In addition to the long-serving Polari First Book Prize (awarded annually to a debut book that explores the LGBTQ+ experience) and The Polari Prize (for overall book of the year, excluding debuts):

In November 2022, to mark the salon’s 15th birthday and the 11th anniversary of the Polari Prize, it will move to its new home at the British Library. The British Library will also collaborate with Polari on upcoming events.

This year, the Polari Salon introduces a new award for children’s and YA literature, shining a spotlight on growing range of wonderful books for children and young adults with LGBTQ+ themes or representation.

The prize will cover anything published in the 24 months up to February 1, 2022 and is open to any children’s or Young Adult book. It will be sponsored by the inclusive children’s books company, Little Box of Books, with a £1000 prize awarded to the winner.

Now, there's a mark of recognition indeed for a literary salon that began upstairs on a pub in Soho, and has popped up in venues big and small up and down the country - including Heaven and the South Bank - to join in partnership with such a national institution as the British Library...

We love Polari!