Polari prize nominees withdraw over inclusion of 'terf' John Boyne

[QAOPspaceman]

A third of the nominated authors and a judge have withdrawn from the Polari prize because John Boyne, apparently a self-confessed terf (!) and friend of JK Rowling (!!!), is nominated. He wrote The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and has previously said "while I will happily employ any term that a person feels best defines them... I reject the notion that someone can force an unwanted term on to another" so is clearly a fascist.

Have never read his stuff but am tempted to order his complete works immediately.

https://www.thebookseller.com/news/polari-prize-will-review-processes-after-a-third-of-nominated-authors-withdraw-books-from-longlist

https://archive.ph/J39nH

Luckily for us ours is not the censorious side of the discussion that believes in 'cancelling' people. That accolate belongs to those engaging in the childish demonstration seeking to cancel Boyne.

Otherwise, given my own screen handle I suppose I should be joining you! 😂

(Edited to say I'm so glad the book-buying public appears to be voting via their £ - which in the end is the final aribiter of who gets 'cancelled' and who doesn't).

Oh, I’m not into cancellation at all, it’s a personal choice that I don’t expect or demand anyone else to follow. I’m just uncomfortable with supporting authors who gather together in a mob to cancel someone else. Happy to read books by transwomen or transmen, happy to read books that feature trans characters, as long as the author hasn’t been a bully hiding behind the safety of numbers.
For instance, you can write about cannibalistic child abuse but you can’t handle an established author holding a view contrary to your own? Get a grip.

This is craven cowardice.

Either stand up for your convictions, or don't. This is a weak cop-out.

I'm a big advocate for separating artists from the art, or the literary canon would be a very empty place. But I agree with you: I'm also not keen on supporting those who engage in this kind of performative demonstration with my money, either (financial boycotting not being at all the same thing as these authors were trying to do). Voting with your feet works, cf. Bud Light.

I think a bit of "do unto others as they would do unto you" can be excused.

If they perform such behaviour themselves, and it's only impacting them, then go ahead and do it to them.

Either they were breaking the golden rule of "do unto others as you would be done to", in which case I think some come-uppance is justified, or maybe they are actually morally consistent and hence would approve of or even encourage you boycotting them for their opinions.

John Boyne suffering more fuckwittery

https://archive.ph/Q92tr

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/12/gender-critical-author-denied-second-literary-honour/

This is so shocking almost feel it needs its own thread to catch the notice of those checking the FWR index.

Honestly dont know how these people think, or can live with themselves.

For anyone having problems with the archive link try this one https://archive.is/Q92tr

This is so hypocritical given that they had quoted his “insistence on empathy, justice, and authenticity” and his confrontation of “uncomfortable truths with courage” as reasons to give him the award, just before changing their mind and withdrawing it. Without bothering to tell him.

As the article points out, it is a student society award, not an official UCD one, so that makes it a bit less shocking.

Boyne himself is hopefully seeing these awards as upside-down-world awards, where not getting them is the badge of honour.

My book group is reading Earth next month - that's a few extra book sales going his way. Better than an award, surely? 😉

I'm an ex-UCD student, does not surprise me at all that this society (as said above, it's a society award not a university award) is swayed by things like that.

Maybe, but a very sad situation.

I've just finished Earth today. I'm waiting for the next two novellas in the series to come into the library as they are out at the moment. So as shit as this is for him, all this publicity has hopefully got more people reading his books. And it has further exposed the totalitarian nonsense that is going on in the literary and arts scene.

The Elements Series wasn't on my radar before the whole Polari Prize debacle. I've also got the Heart's Invisible Furies lined up to read.

I know it's not really better but JB says himself it's book sales and readers that count, not awards.

@ItsCoolForCats The Heart’s Invisible Furies is one of my all time favourite books, I didn’t like the start and wanted to give up but my husband convinced me to give it a bit longer and I’m so glad I did. I’ve not read the Elements series as much as I love his writing they sound quite depressing and I’m in a phase where I need something a bit lighter just now - they’re on my list for when the phase changes though.

Echo Chamber is good if you need something lighter. JB has something for everyone's tastes.

John Boyne wins a literary prize in France

https://archive.ph/bMJwe

https://unherd.com/2025/09/john-boyne-refuses-to-be-cancelled/

It seems quite a coup, rarely awarded to non-French writers, and I've seen no report of it anywhere. Tbh I think that's down to the ignorance and chauvinism of British literary circles as much as their pearl clutching over his 'terfism'.

Any road up

Congratulations John Boyne 🥳💐🎊👏

His writing is incredible!

Happy to read this, I hope JB is doing well through all of this unnecessary fuss

Excuse me, Julie Bindel:
'As one of our great writers ..'

John Boyne one of your greatest writers?

It's reminiscent of Seamus Heaney being included in the Penguin Book of Contemporary British Poetry, which prompted his response :
Don't be surprised if I demur, for, be advised
My passport's green.
No glass of ours was ever raised
To toast The Queen.

It's the same old story - Irish if you do something bad, British if you win a prize.

Good call. I'll have to admit, on this occasion, to the same fault. I'm going to excuse myself though, as a fellow 'terf', he feels like family.

Gender critical women have had a hard time in France. So things are not as good as they seem in that article. See the publication of "Transmania".

Diarmaid Ferriter (UCD histoy lecturer) wrote an article in the IT that frowned upon the students' decision.

Yes, that was a pleasant surprise! There was quite a bit of criticism in the Irish media, which is another indication that the tide is slowly turning. Fingers crossed.

That's very charitable about a person who deliberately hoodwinks the gullible into sympathising with the commandant of a Nazi death camp.

It's called 'writing'. It comes from the human imagination.

I went to buy the Elements the other day. I do love Boyne’s writing and have been meaning to read the novellas for ages so it seemed good timing. The bookshop is very ‘woke’. I have overheard customers loudly dissing JKR in there before and may of the staff were rainbow pins etc. The young man who served me was VERY gender non conforming and I wondered idly if he was inwardly judging me for my choice of book but then he said ‘it’s great they’ve put all these in one compendium but I just love the small individual volumes myself’. It was cheering to meet someone just genuinely (and quite fabulously) non conformist and not ‘trans’. This chimes with other recent interactions I’ve had with the younger set. Hopefully common sense is reasserting itself.