Polari at Huddersfield Literature Festival

Huddersfield Literature Festival is back with a packed programme this May, and this Polari-themed special caught our eye, featuring writers including Okechukwu Nzelu and Rosie Garland.

Hosted by bestselling author and journalist Paul Burston, the evening of performances from a diverse and talented line-up of LGBTQ+ writers will showcase the work of acclaimed and award-winning novelist Okechukwu Nzelu, writer and cabaret artist Hook and writer, poet and singer Rosie Garland. 

Founded by author and journalist Paul Burston in a bar in Soho in 2007, award-winning literary salon Polari showcases and celebrates the best in LGBTQ+ poetry and writing. As well as curating and hosting the salon, Paul Burston founded the Polari Prize, the UK’s only book prize for LGBTQ+ writing, which comprises three awards: Book of the Year, Debut book and children’s/YA prize. In 2016, Burston featured in the British Council’s Global List of 33 visionary people promoting freedom, equality and LGBT rights around the world. He is the author of six novels and five non-fiction books, and the editor of two short-story collections. His bestselling memoir We Can Be Heroes: A Survivor’s Story was published in 2023. 

Rosie Garland writes poetry, long and short fiction, and sings with post-punk band The March Violets. Her poetry collection What Girls Do in the Dark (Nine Arches Press) was shortlisted for the Polari Prize 2021. Her latest novel, The Fates (Quercus) is a retelling of the Greek myth of the Fates, and her first collection of short fiction Your Sons & Your Daughters Are Beyond is out now (Fly On The Wall Press). In 2023, she was made Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and Val McDermid has named her one of the most compelling LGBT+ writers in the UK today. 

Hook is a trans, non-binary, neurodivergent mythical creature, writer and cabaret artist. They use the pronouns they/them and hehe/hym. Hook is currently touring their new cabaret-comedy The Wheel of Nouns and has also previously written and then performed their work with Queer Arts at Pride 2024, Polari Literary Salon at Theatre 41, Roots Theatre at The York Theatre Royal, and The Wonderhaus Cabaret at The Wardrobe Theatre. 

Dr Okechukwu Nzelu FRSL won a Northern Writers’ Award from New Writing North in 2015. His debut novel, The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney, won a Betty Trask Award and his second novel, Here Again Now, was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Encore Award, the Polari Prize, the Jhalak Prize and the Diverse Book Awards. He is a non-executive director of ALCS and CLA, and lecturer in creative writing at Lancaster University. In 2024 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. 

The event will be followed at 9pm until 10.30pm by Out + Loud LGBTQ+ open mic. Hosted by poetic comedian Zee and drag king musician Ding Frisby, Out + Loud is an open mic night for queer performers of all kinds. Performers of music, poetry, comedy and cabaret are all invited to take part. Out + Loud is a Huddersfield-based queer arts collective that aims to build local queer community and platforms for emerging talent.

And while you’re checking out Lawrence Batley Theatre, be sure check out Attic Stories hosted by award-winning poet Rose Condo – the next is 30 April (7.30-9.30pm) with open mic and special guest performers The 4 Johns, aka Mike Watts, Peter Knaggs, Matt Nicholson and Jim Higo.

A celebration of poetry, prose and performance, spanning venues across the town and streamed online, the full programme of Huddersfield Literature Festival – or HuddLitFest to its friends! – will run 8 to 18 May 2025, including an evening with poet and former Makar Jackie Kay on 9 May and an in-conversation with historical fiction writer Stephen May on 16 May.

Drawing audiences of 4,000 and counting each spring, the award-winning Huddersfield Literature Festival, established in 2006, is well known for its inclusivity and accessibility plays host to around 50 events, from in-conversations, talks and panel discussions to creative writing workshops, open mic nights and poetry slams.