Polari book prize cancelled after row over gender-critical novelist

Organisers of the award for LGBTQ+ writers have paused the prize this year, after controversy over the longlisting of John Boyne meant it was overshadowed by hurt and anger'

A prize celebrating LGBTQ+ literature has cancelled its awards this year, after a row over the longlisting of an author who has described himself as a Terf" - the acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.

From a total longlist of 24, 16 authors and two judges withdrew from this year's prize, and more than 800 writers and publishing industry workers signed a statement protesting against the inclusion of John Boyne, the author best known for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.