Polari Prize organisers cancel book prize over trans controversy

John Boyne, best known for writing The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, was longlisted for the Polari Prize earlier this month for his latest novel Earth.

However, some other nominated authors asked to be removed from the longlist, objecting to an article Boyne wrote defending JK Rowling’s stance on trans issues and women’s rights. More than 800 figures in the publishing industry also signed an open letter criticising his nomination.

The Polari Prize’s organisers have now said it would not be awarded this year but they hoped it would return in 2026.

In a statement published before the prize was scrapped, Boyne said his “views on trans rights have never changed” and he had faced “endless harassment at the hands of both strangers and fellow writers”.

Founded in 2011, The Polari Prize is open to writers born or based in the UK or Ireland who write about the experiences of LGBTQ+ life.

It started out as a single annual prize for best first book, which recognised debut works. In 2019, a second award was introduced for overall book of the year.

In an article in the Irish Independent on 27 July, Boyne, who is gay, offered his support to Harry Potter author Rowling, who has in recent years been outspoken with her views about the tension between trans rights and the protection of women’s spaces.

Boyne described himself as a “fellow Terf” – which stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist – and said Rowling had been “pilloried” for her stance.

He suggested that women who had publicly disagreed with Rowling in recent years were “astonishingly complicit in their own erasure”, and compared them to a commander’s wife in the patriarchal regime in The Handmaid’s Tale who is “ready to pin a handmaiden down as her husband rapes her”.

“Rowling’s critics claim she is transphobic, the greatest sin of our time, and use the usual tedious hyperbole to demonise her,” Boyne wrote.

He said that her supporters, however, were encouraged by her “advocacy” on issues such as women being “entitled to safe spaces”.

The longlist for the Polari Prize was announced on 1 August, and over the subsequent days several other nominated authors withdrew in protest at Boyne’s inclusion.

Sacha Coward said he could not “continue in good faith” to participate in the event, which he said was supposed to “celebrate inclusion, not exclusion and division”.

Fellow nominee Mae Diansangu said Boyne had “disgusting views”.

Another longlisted writer, Jason Okundaye, wrote an article in the Guardian describing Boyne’s views as “abhorrent”, withdrawing his nomination because he felt “misled about the principles underpinning the organisation”.

More than 10 longlisted authors pulled out, out of a total of 24.

The figures in the publishing industry who signed the open letter said they were “profoundly disappointed” by Boyne’s inclusion, saying his comments were “inappropriate and hurtful” and “incompatible with the LGBTQ+ community’s most basic standards of inclusion”.

One of the prize’s own judges, Nicola Dinan, who won the First Book award last year, also resigned from this year’s panel in protest.

However, the only trans author on the longlist, Dr Avi Ben-Zeev, said he would remain on the list, telling PinkNews he supported others who had withdrawn, but adding there was “nothing more trans-exclusionary… than to see people like me disappear… if I walk away, I’m erasing my trans story”.

Following Dinan’s resignation, the Polari Prize said it “completely understands and respect her decision”.

However, Boyne at this point remained on the longlist, with organisers noting in a statement: “Even within our community, we can at times hold radically different positions on substantive issues. This is one of those times.”

It said the prize was “committed to inclusion”, adding that “while we do not eliminate books based on the wider views of a writer, we regret the upset and hurt this has caused”.

Boyne then released a statement standing by his views and thanking the Polari Prize for “standing strong in the face of extraordinary intimidation”.

He said he had received “an extraordinary amount of bullying and intimidation”, which had pushed him “close to the edge”.

He also encouraged the authors who had withdrawn to return to the longlist, suggesting that, if they did so, he would ask the prize’s judges not to choose his own book to progress to the shortlist.

But on Monday, Polari announced this year’s prize would not be going ahead.

“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,” organisers said in a statement, apologising to “everyone who had been affected”.

Polari said it had consulted authors, judges, stakeholders and funders, and 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.

It concluded by saying it would “endeavour to find a way forwards in good faith”.