James Maker – författare

Just one shimmering pearl of wisdom from popstar and polymath James Maker, whose worldly observations will (like herpes) once again be on everyone’s lips thanks to his Polari Prizewinning memoir, remastered with new chapters and never-before-seen photographs. If you hadn’t heard of rock bands Raymonde or RPLA – fronted by James in the 80s and 90s – you might be forgiven for mistaking AutoFellatio for fiction. But here fact is more fantastical than any novel, as we follow our hero from Bermondsey enfant terrible to Valencian grande dame, a scenic journey that stops off variously at Morrissey confidant, dominatrix, singer, songwriter and occasional actor, and is literally littered with memorable bons mots and hilarious anecdotes that make you feel like you’ve hit the wedding reception jackpot of being unexpectedly seated next to the groom’s flamboyant uncle. According to Wikipedia, very few men can perform the act of autofellatio; we never discover whether James is one of them but certainly, as a storyteller, he is one in a million.