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We Can Be Heroes
Paul Burston
Activist. Journalist. Survivor. One man’s journey from prejudice to Pride.
Paul Burston wasn’t always the iconic voice of LGBTQ+ London that he is today. Paul came out in the mid-1980s, when ‘gay’ still felt like a dirty word, especially in the small Welsh town where he grew up. He moved to London hoping for a happier life, only to watch in horror as his new-found community was decimated by AIDS. But even in the depths of his grief, Paul vowed never to stop fighting back on behalf of his young friends whose lives were cut tragically short.
It’s a promise he’s kept to this day. As an activist he stormed the House of Commons during the debate over the age of consent. As a journalist he spoke up for the rights of the community at a time of tabloid homophobia and legal inequality. As a novelist he founded the groundbreaking Polari Prize.
But his lifestyle hid a dark secret, and Paul’s demons—shame, trauma, grief—stalked him on every corner. In an attempt to silence them, he began to self-medicate.
From almost drowning at eighteen to a near-fatal overdose at thirty-eight, this is Paul’s story of what happened in the twenty years between, and how he carved out a life that his teenage self could scarcely have imagined. Emotional but often witty, We Can Be Heroes is an illuminating memoir of the eighties, nineties and noughties from a gay man who only just survived them.
Paul Burston wasn’t always the iconic voice of LGBTQ+ London that he is today. Paul came out in the mid-1980s, when ‘gay’ still felt like a dirty word, especially in the small Welsh town where he grew up. He moved to London hoping for a happier life, only to watch in horror as his new-found community was decimated by AIDS. But even in the depths of his grief, Paul vowed never to stop fighting back on behalf of his young friends whose lives were cut tragically short.
It’s a promise he’s kept to this day. As an activist he stormed the House of Commons during the debate over the age of consent. As a journalist he spoke up for the rights of the community at a time of tabloid homophobia and legal inequality. As a novelist he founded the groundbreaking Polari Prize.
But his lifestyle hid a dark secret, and Paul’s demons—shame, trauma, grief—stalked him on every corner. In an attempt to silence them, he began to self-medicate.
From almost drowning at eighteen to a near-fatal overdose at thirty-eight, this is Paul’s story of what happened in the twenty years between, and how he carved out a life that his teenage self could scarcely have imagined. Emotional but often witty, We Can Be Heroes is an illuminating memoir of the eighties, nineties and noughties from a gay man who only just survived them.
GENRE
LGBTQ+; Memoir; Non-Fiction
UK PUBLICATION
June 2023
LGBTQ+; Memoir; Non-Fiction
UK PUBLICATION
June 2023
Praise
"This memoir is brutally honest ... Wonderful."
Russell T. Davies
"What a bloody brilliant piece of work. What a bloody brilliant life. I’m inspired, moved, reminded, held, enraged, and consumed with a strange joy. Just remarkable."
Joelle Taylor
"A compelling and hugely enjoyable memoir about a fearless life lived to the full."
Bernardine Evaristo
"It's raw, honest, funny in places and incredibly moving ... What an incredible life."
Claire Allan
"We stand on the shoulders of giants, those who fought for our rights today. One of those giants is Paul Burston, and his memoir about his life, his activism, the AIDS crisis, Bowie, and much, much more, is told in his own bold, smart inimitable style. I loved We Can Be Heroes. What a treat."
Jonathan Harvey
"Honest, vivid, raw, revealing and written with generosity and charisma ... A triumph and an inspiration."
Janet Ellis
"A gorgeous memoir. I cannot recommend it highly enough."
Juno Roche
"A brutally honest, unflinching memoir and eye witness account of the most important time in gay British history, from someone who not only lived and survived it, but who helped to shape it. Indispensable."
John Marrs
Russell T. Davies
"What a bloody brilliant piece of work. What a bloody brilliant life. I’m inspired, moved, reminded, held, enraged, and consumed with a strange joy. Just remarkable."
Joelle Taylor
"A compelling and hugely enjoyable memoir about a fearless life lived to the full."
Bernardine Evaristo
"It's raw, honest, funny in places and incredibly moving ... What an incredible life."
Claire Allan
"We stand on the shoulders of giants, those who fought for our rights today. One of those giants is Paul Burston, and his memoir about his life, his activism, the AIDS crisis, Bowie, and much, much more, is told in his own bold, smart inimitable style. I loved We Can Be Heroes. What a treat."
Jonathan Harvey
"Honest, vivid, raw, revealing and written with generosity and charisma ... A triumph and an inspiration."
Janet Ellis
"A gorgeous memoir. I cannot recommend it highly enough."
Juno Roche
"A brutally honest, unflinching memoir and eye witness account of the most important time in gay British history, from someone who not only lived and survived it, but who helped to shape it. Indispensable."
John Marrs
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Rights Sales for WE CAN BE HEROES
World English Language: Little A, Amazon Publishing