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Polari First Book Prize 2015 – Call for submissions

Submissions are being sought for this year’s Polari First Book Prize, now in its fifth year.

Polari First Book Prize

The Polari Prize is for a first book which explores the LGBT experience.

It is open to any work of poetry, prose, fiction or non-fiction published in English by a writer born or resident in the UK within the twelve months of the deadline for submissions (this year February 1, 2015). Self-published works in both print and digital formats are also eligible for submission.

Works must be submitted by the publisher. Self-published works should be submitted together with a letter explaining why the book was self-published.

Closing date for submissions is, May 1. The long list will be announced in July, followed by the shortlist in September. The winner will be revealed at the London Literature Festival in October at the Southbank Centre.

Diriye Osman
Diriye Osman

 

Last year Somali-British writer Diriye Osman won with his short story collection, Fairytales for Lost Children.

Societe Generale sponsor the prize, while partners include WH Smiths Travel and Square Peg Media, publishers of g3 and Out In The City.

The Polari First Book Prize was launched in 2011 and in 2013, was named LGBT Cultural Event of the Year in the Co-op Respect Loved By You Awards.

Judges this year include:

• Author, journalist and host of Polari literary salon, chair Paul Burston

• Author and former Head of Literature & Spoken Word at the Southbank, Rachel Holmes

• Literary critic, Suzi Feay

• Writer, critic and broadcaster, Bidishe

• Author and comedian, VG Lee

• Writer and editor Alex Hopkins

For details of how to submit a book for this year’s prize, email:

 

Jimmy’s World Kitchen opens in Brighton Marina

Jimmy’s World Kitchen in Brighton Marina celebrated its official opening in late January with a VIP evening for local celebrities and footballers from the Brighton & Hove Albion football team.

Jimmy's Restaurant

THE 500 seater restaurant is the largest in Sussex and brings dining on an American scale into the heart of Brighton Marina. The venue is stylishly decorated in line with the American concept and there is nothing quite like it in Brighton and Hove.

Jimmy’s have chosen Albion in the Community as their charity of the year and pledged to donate 10p in every £1 spent in the restaurant between January 11 – 17.

Jimmy's Restaurant

Brighton and Hove Albion’s mascot Gully was in attendance for the VIP evening and entertainment was provided by Chinese Lion dancers and a talented Bollywood dance troupe.

Gary Townsend, Chief Operating Office of Albion in the Community, said: “The evening has been a great success – great service and great food. We are privileged that Jimmy’s has chosen to support Albion in the Community and look forward to an exciting relationship.”

Albion in the Community is the not-for-profit, charitable arm of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club and uses the power of sport and football to deliver programmes in the areas of sports participation, health and wellbeing, education, disability and social inclusion.

Jimmy’s is an American style buffet restaurant. You can eat as much as you want from over 100 dishes from multiple cultures including Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Japanese and Italian as well as a seafood bar, a sushi bar and a starters bar and everything is available for one single price.

If you’re looking for fine dining this might not be the place for you. However, if you want a good night out, with good value food and a great ambiance and load to eat, Jimmy’s is ideal.

I loved the sushi selection and the mexican dishes were very tasty and authentic. The only food we had to queue was for were the steaks, so remember that when filling your plates.

If you stand with a full plate while you wait for your steak to be cooked, your food will go cold. If you want a steak make a special journey just for that.

Area manager Mukesh cuts the ribbon watch by players from the Albion and restaurant staff
Area manager Mukesh Driveer cuts the ribbon watched by players from the Albion and Albion in the community volunteers.

Lunchtime prices start from £9.99 and dinner starts from £12.99 – eat as much as you like for one price.

Prices:

Lunch from Monday – Friday is £9.99 and £12.99 on Saturday.

Dinner from Monday – Thursday is £14.99; £16.99 on Friday and Saturday and £12.99 on Sunday

Opening times:

Lunch: Monday to Friday: noon to 3pm; Friday and Saturday noon-5pm

Dinner: Monday to Thursday: 5-10.30pm; Friday and Saturday 5-11pm; Sunday 5-10.30pm

Two hour seating applies on Friday and Saturday. For lunch menu, table must be vacated before 3.30pm on Monday to Friday. For lunch menu table must be vacated before 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Children aged 11 and under are half price and 4 and under are FREE

Jimmy’s Restaurant: 1-5 Palm Drive, The Waterfront, Brighton Marina, BN2 5WA.

To make a reservation, telephone: 01273 696688.

For more information about Jimmy’s Restaurants, click here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walk the ‘Red Carpet’ at the Golden Handbag Awards

It’s time to get out those feather boas and your smartest outfits in preparation for Brighton’s annual Gay Oscars, which this year, for the first time, will feature the ‘red carpet treatment’ for those attending.

Golden Handbag Awards 2015
Golden Handbag Awards 2015

THE Golden Handbag Awards 2015 will be held at the Brighton Metropole Hilton on Sunday, June 21 at 7.30 p.m.

Who is a top and who is a bottom on the Brighton gay scene?

Who do you love and who is out of favour?

Who is current and who is oh sooo 2014?

Lola Lasagne
Lola Lasagne

Whatever the results on the evening, the one thing you can be sure of is that Lola Lasagne will be in charge on the night, discharging her strict programme of discipline learnt from hosting and keeping in control a Golden Handbag audience in full throttle for the last 10 years.

This year’s awards, now in their 20th year, will once again be raising money for local good causes.

VIP tables seating 12 people cost £240, go on sale from March 31 and as always will be released on a first come first served basis.

To book a table email: info@gscene.com or telephone 01273 749 947. If you’re not lucky enough to be on a VIP table, unreserved single tickets for £20 can be purchased from Prowler, 112 St James’s Street, Brighton from June 1.

The legendary Golden Quiz Night which officially launches the online voting is at Charles Street on Tuesday, May 12. Get a team together and win the first treasured Golden Handbag of the season.

Entry is £25 for a team of 6 players, with all monies going to local good causes.

To book your place at the quiz email: info@gscene.com

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Gay Games Ambassador defends weightlifting titles

Gay Games Ambassador Chris Morgan has successfully defended his British Deadlift Championship titles.

Chris Morgan
Chris Morgan

CHRIS was lifting in the British Single Event Championships, held in Stafford, England, and made lifts of 220 kilos followed by 250 kilos and then 260 kilos to win British titles in Masters 1 (40+), Open (all age groups) and also the Overall Best Lifter Award.

Chris said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have won my fifth “Best lifter” title and to have won my seventeenth British Championship titles in my career. I’m now looking forward to representing England and Great Britain in my eleventh World Championship final”.

“The competition was the biggest ever organised in the history of the British Drug Free Powerlifting Association, with a total of 400 lifters. It’s wonderful to see the interest in drug free lifting growing each and every year within the BDFPA”.

Chris MorganChris has been one of the UK’s leading openly gay athletes since starting his Powerlifting career at the Gay Games in Amsterdam in 1998.

During his seventeen-year career he has represented England and Great Britain a total of twenty-three times, taking a total of twenty-five international medals, and has been World Champion seven times, European Champion three times, British National Champion seventeen times and has won six Gay Games gold medals.

Chris will next be lifting at the World Single Event Championships being held on June 12, 13 and 14 at Telford Innovation Campus (Telford) of Wolverhampton University.

For more information, click here:

The next Gay Games will take place in Paris, France from August 12 to 18, 2018.

For more information, click here:

Disabled people to have their voices heard

Nancy Platts, the Labour parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, is organising a conference on Thursday, March 19 at St. Mary’s Church community hall in Kemp Town.

Nancy Platts: Labour parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven
Nancy Platts, Labour parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

The purpose of the conference will be to make the concerns of disabled people known to politicians, business leaders and public service providers.

The event will ask disabled people what services or facilities would help make their lives better and pose questions about barriers to employment. The debate will also examine how transport and access to support, advice and information can be improved to enable disabled people to live independently.

Kate Green MP, Shadow Minister for Disabled People, will be attending the event, designed to bring together disabled people with those who make decisions that affect their day-to-day lives and their ability to live independently.

Nancy Platts said: “If elected as MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven I will ensure Brighton residents can hold decision-makers to account. This conference will give disabled people the chance to speak directly to those who run the services that have such an impact on their everyday lives.

“We know disabled people want to work, but that more needs to be done to give them the opportunity to find employment.

“The repeal of the hated Bedroom Tax, more accessible transport and services are just part of the solution – we also need to encourage more businesses to offer jobs to disabled workers.”

To register for the event on Thursday, March 19, click here:

Or email:

Or telephone Nancy’s office on: 01273 690 274.

If you have any access requirements or require this information in an alternative format let the organisers know when booking your place.

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