London's multi award-winning LGBTQ+ literary salon comes to Eastbourne!
Author and host Paul Burston is joined by acclaimed local author Alexandra Benedict and Hastings literary legend VG Lee for an evening of readings and chat.
“Always fun, always thought - provoking, a guaranteed great night out!” - Sarah Waters
7pm doors for 7.30pm start.
About Polari -
Founded in 2007 by author and activist Paul Burston, Polari is known for its high energy, thought-provoking performances - a heady mix of live literature and cabaret, in which the performers happen to be writers.
Described by The Huffington Post as “the most exciting literary moment in London”, the salon also tours regularly, funded by Arts Council England.
About the lineup -
Alexandra (AK) Benedict is an award-winning writer of bestselling novels, short stories and scripts. As Alexandra Benedict, she writes Golden Age-inspired mysteries with a darker, contemporary edge. The Christmas Murder Game (Bonnier Zaffre, 2021), an Amazon Fiction Bestseller, has been published in twelve languages and was longlisted for the Gold Dagger Award. Murder on the Christmas Express (Simon & Schuster) is an international bestseller and reached Top 12 in the UK paperbacks chart. The Christmas Jigsaw Murders (Simon & Schuster) was also bestseller in hardback and is now out in paperback. The Christmas Cracker Killer (Simon & Schuster) will be out autumn 2025.
As A K Benedict, Alexandra writes high concept speculative fiction, short stories and award-winning audio drama. She has been shortlisted for the BBC Audio Drama Award for Children of the Stones (BBC Sounds/Radio 4) and won the Scribe Award for her Doctor Who audio drama The Calendar Man (Big Finish). Her debut novel, The Beauty of Murder (Orion), was nominated for the eDunnit Award, and her next novel, metafictional thriller Little Red Death (Simon & Schuster), is out February 2025.
Alexandra lives in Eastbourne, on the south coast of England, with writer, Guy Adams, their daughter, Verity, and dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.
Paul Burston is the author of six novels and five non-fiction books and the editor of two short story collections.
He hosts the award-winning LGBTQ+ literary salon Polari and is the founder of The Polari Prize book awards for LGBTQ+ writers.
In 2016 he featured in the British Council’s Global List of ‘33 visionary people promoting freedom, equality and LGBT rights around the world.’
His memoir We Can Be Heroes is published by Little A and has been described by Russell T. Davies as “brutally honest” , by Bernardine Evaristo as “a compelling a hugely enjoyable memoir about a fearless life lived to the full” and by ES Magazine as “probably the gay book of the year”
Born in York and raised in South Wales, he now divides his time between London and Hastings.
VG Lee has published five novels and two collections of short stories.
Of her first novel The Comedienne (2000 Diva Books) author Andrea Levy wrote, ‘A light touch, a wonderful laconic style and spot-on humour made this a joy to read’. For Lee’s fourth novel, Always you, Edina (2012 Ward Wood) Sarah Waters wrote, ‘Lee writes with unfailing warmth and wisdom about the comedy and complexity of childhood and family life.’
Her writing has appeared in numerous and diverse publications including Poetry Review, Diva Magazine, Beyond Bedlam (Anvil). The Lady Magazine and more recently The Guardian.
In 2012 she was nominated for a Stonewall Award, 2014 brought the Ultimate Planet Award for Best Established Author; and in 2017 she was runner up for Diva/YLVA Publishing Literary Prize for Fiction. In 2022 she was long-listed for the BBC National Short Story Award
VG Lee is a judge for the prestigious Polari Book Prize and also the Hastings Literary Festival Short Story Prize.