Countdown to April's Polari at Printworks

Wait no longer - the increasingly popular Polari-on-Sea returns to The Printworks, Hastings, on April 27, as part of a second season, funded by Arts Council England.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Apr 2016, 10:47 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 22:14 BST

Hosted by Paul Burston with Jake Arnott, Sophia Blackwell, Matt Cain and Cherry Potts the event starts at 7.30pm with doors open at 7pm.

Jake Arnott is an acclaimed author whose work includes The Long Firm, featuring charismatic homosexual gangster Harry Starks, which was adapted as a BAFTA-winning drama for BBC 2.

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His forthcoming novel, The Fatal Tree, is set in 18th century London – a wicked city peopled by whores, cut-purses, Grub Street poets and corrupt thief-takers with a secret gay underworld that gathers at the notorious Mother Clap’s Molly-House.

Sophia Blackwell is the author of a novel, After My Own Heart, and a collection of poetry, Into Temptation. Her new collection, The Fire-Eater’s Lover, will be published in May by Burning Eye. Her poetry has been anthologised by Bloodaxe, Nine Arches and most recently the Emma Press.

Matt Cain spent ten years making arts and entertainment programmes for ITV, before becoming Channel 4 News’ first ever Culture Editor. His first novel, Shot Through the Heart, was published by Pan Macmillan in 2014, and the second, Nothing but Trouble, followed last July.

He is currently working on the third.

Cherry Potts is the author of two collections of short stories, Mosaic of Air, and Tales Told Before Cockcrow, and multiple stories. She is also the editor of five short story anthologies including Award Winning Weird Lies, and a poetry anthology. Her first novel, The Dowry Blade, a lesbian epic fantasy, was published in February 2016.

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Tickets cost £8 (£6 conc) from www.eventbrite.co.uk, or on the door. This event is wheelchair accessible and will be BSL interpreted

In other news, host Paul - who founded the Polari LGBT literary salon - has been selected to feature in the British Council’s first ever fiveFilms4freedom 2016 Global List – celebrating “33 visionary people who are promoting freedom, equality and LGBT rights around the world.”

The list is part of fiveFilms4freedom, the world’s first global digital LGBT film festival, and compiled by British Council teams through open call for nominations from people around the world.

Paul said: “I’m delighted and honoured to be included in the British Council’s fiveFilms4freedom 2016 Global List, and to see Polari and The Polari First Book Prize recognised internationally. Thanks to everyone who nominated me and to the panel who made the final selection.”

His latest novel The Black Path will be published by Accent Press in September.