Polari has come a long way from its inception above a Soho pub. Now celebrating its 10th year, the award-winning LGBT literary movement calls London’s Southbank Centre its home and regularly takes the show on tour, with its Literary Salon providing an eclectic experience at venues and festivals around the country.

Polari founder and your host for the evening, Paul Burston, will introduce acclaimed vocalist and songwriter, David McAlmont; novelist, poet and performer, Kirsty Logan; writer, singer and post-punk poet, Rosie Garland, accompanied by Eilish McEvil and award-winning author and stand-up comedian, VG Lee, for a night of thought-provoking discussion and outrageous entertainment.

About The Host

Paul Burston

Paul Burston is the curator and host of award-winning literary salon Polari at London’s Southbank Centre, and founder of The Polari First Book Prize for new writing. In 2016 he was featured in the British Council’s Five Films 4 Freedom Global List, celebrating “visionary people who are promoting freedom, equality and LGBT rights around the world”.

Photo by Krystyna FitzGerald-Morris

About The Speakers

VG Lee

VG Lee is a comedian and author of five novels and a short story collection. In 2012 she was nominated for a Stonewall Award for writing and in 2014 won The Ultimate Planet award for Best Established Author. Her work has appeared in anthologies and magazines including The Lady Magazine.

Kirsty Logan

Kirsty Logan is a writer, performer, literary editor, writing mentor and book reviewer. She is the author of short story collections The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales and A Portable Shelter, and one novel, The Gracekeepers. She regularly performs her stories at events and festivals throughout the world.

The Time-Travelling Suffragettes

Armed with banners, a twinkle in their eye and a spanner or two for throwing into the works, The Time-Travelling Suffragettes have travelled to the present day to raise their voices in rousing song. The duo combine the musical talents of novelist and cabaret performer Rosie Garland (novelist, poet, aka Rosie Lugosi the Vampire Queen) and multi-instrumentalist Éilish McCracken (Rose McDowall, Sgt Buzfuz, Slate Islands, Ida Barr).

Photo by Scott Brimley

David McAlmont

David McAlmont is an English vocalist and songwriter. One of the most flamboyant frontmen of the ’90s, David McAlmont first came to attention in the London band Thieves and gained a reputation as one of Britain’s most underrated vocalists.