John McCullough's poetry collection The Frost Fairs has won this year’s Polari first book prize. The Polari prize is for a first book that explores the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender experience and is open to any work of poetry, prose, fiction or non-fiction published in the UK in English.

McCullough’s collection, published by Salt, deals with love in many forms, from modern transatlantic relationships to hidden gay lives from the past; ancient Alexandria to 21^st century bars and council estates. 

Paul Burston, chair of the judges, said: "The judges were impressed with the polish and precision of the language, the confidence of the writing and the scope of the work. It’s also surprisingly mature for a first book - a debut which doesn’t feel like a debut.”

Included on the shortlist for the prize was another poetry collection, Modern Love by Max Wallis, published in the Flap pamphlet series. You can find some of Max Wallis’s poems on Write Out Loud here.