Polari at The Dragonfly Lounge

London’s award-winning LGBTQ+ literary salon comes to The Dragonfly Lounge

Founded in 2007 by author Paul Burston, Polari has appeared at the Southbank Centre, The British Library, Heaven nightclub and at book festivals, bars, museums, nightclubs and theatres across the UK and beyond.

Inspired by the gay slang of the same name, Polari is a celebration of LGBTQ+ words and voices – whether written, spoken or sung. The salon also runs The Polari Prize awards – the UK’s book awards for LGBTQ+ writing.

Hosted by Paul Burston, with JP Seabright, Joelle Taylor and Katy Jon Went.

PAUL BURSTON is the author of six novels and four non-fiction books and the editor of two short story collections.

His memoir ‘We Can Be Heroes’ is published by Little A and has been described by Russell T. Davies as “brutally honest” and by Bernardine Evaristo as “a compelling, hugely enjoyable memoir about a fearless life lived to the full.”

In 2016, he featured in the British Council’s Global List of ‘33 visionary people promoting freedom, equality and LGBT rights around the world.’

In 2026 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

JP SEABRIGHT (she/they) is a queer disabled writer living in London. They have seven solo pamphlets published and four collaborations, encompassing poetry, prose and experimental work. JP explores themes of gender, sexuality, trauma, technology and the climate crisis in her work, and has been nominated for Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, Forward Prize, and shortlisted (twice) for a Saboteur Award for Best Collaborative Work. They are co-editor and organiser of the Arts Council England funded project ‘eff-able’.

JOELLE TAYLOR is the author of four collections of poetry and one novel. Her collection ‘C+NTO & Othered Poems’ won the 2021 T.S. Eliot Prize, and the 2022 Polari Book Prize for LGBT authors. She is a co-curator and host of Out-Spoken Live at the Southbank Centre and tours her work nationally and internationally. Her new collection ‘Maryville’ was published by Bloomsbury in 2025 and has been longlisted for the 2026 Forward Prize for Best Collection.

KATY JON WENT is well known as a campaigner for dialogue and conversation about often polarised topics. As a "Book" in the Human Library since 2009 and currently Head of Methodology, Katy has been "read" hundreds of times and curated spaces for others to engage outside of echo chambers and comfort zones. Katy regularly appears at festivals, TEDx, and universities, as well as on TV and radio from the BBC (eg Queer Britain) to Channel 4’s Gender Wars.

This event is part of the Polari Prize 15th Birthday Showcase, funded by Arts Council England