Fabulosa! - The Story of Polari, Britain's Secret Gay Language Book
- In stock, ready to ship
- Inventory on the way
- Free Delivery on UK orders over £70
- Discreet Packaging
'Richly evocative and entertaining.' Guardian
'An essential book for anyone who wants to Polari bona!' Attitude
Polari is a language that was used chiefly by gay men in the first half of the twentieth century. It offered its speakers a degree of public camouflage and a means of identification. Its colourful roots are varied ‐ from Cant to Lingua Franca and dancers' slang ‐ and in the mid‐1960s it was thrust into the limelight by the characters Julian and Sandy, voiced by Hugh Paddick and Kenneth Williams, on the BBC radio show Round the Horne. ('Oh hello Mr Horne, how bona to vada your dolly old eek!')
Paul Baker recounts the story of Polari with skill, humour and tenderness. He traces its historical origins and describes its linguistic nuts and bolts, explores the ways and the environments in which it was spoken, explains the reasons for its decline and tells of its unlikely re‐emergence in the twenty‐first century.
With a cast of drag queens and sailors, Dilly boys and macho clones, Fabulosa! is an essential document of recent history ‐ a fascinating and fantastically readable account of this funny, filthy and ingenious language.
'Paul Baker's exuberant, richly detailed history of Polari, a ''secret'' language used chiefly by gay men in the 1940s and 1950s, is a delightful read.' Tatler
Author: Paul Baker
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781789142945
ROYAL MAIL STRIKES DURING NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2022 WILL DELAY DELIVERIES. THE LATEST UPDATE ON THE STRIKE DATES CAN BE VIEWED HERE.
UK Orders
Takes approximately 1-3 working days to arrive, (but can take longer during busy periods like bank holidays or Pride Month)
Orders under £40 can't be tracked, but do have a barcode on which Royal Mail scan on delivery.
Orders over £40 are sent with full tracking.
International Orders
Some international orders arrive in around 5 days (mostly to Europe) and some take 2 months.
There are also sometimes customs delays.
We can not be held responsible if your order does not arrive for a certain date.
Find out more about deliveries in the UK here.
Find out more about deliveries to the EU here.
Find out more about deliveries to the rest of the world (non-EU) here.
We understand that some people need to be discreet. Everything we send out is in plain packaging with no reference to Gay Pride Shop.
