Autofellatio by James Maker has been named the winner of the Polari First Book Prize.The Prize celebrates poetry, prose, fiction or non-fiction exploring the queer experience.
Paul Burston, Chair of the judges, said: “The judges felt that Autofellatio stood out with its humour, honesty and heartfelt exploration of British queer life over the last 30 years. It deals with the hardships of growing up gay in a way that is witty, endlessly quotable and, above all, brave. The hard-won wisdom and tenacity of this story is also reflected in the way in which the book evolved. Self-published as an ebook, it has now been picked up by an independent publisher. The judges also agreed that the winning book best exemplified the spirit of the prize and the ethos of Polari.”
Winning author James Maker said: “I’m thrilled that Autofellatio is the winner of the Polari First Book Prize, especially given that the other books in the shortlist are so very, very strong. Autofellatio began life as a self-published ebook, and I believe that winning this award sends a positive message to other first-time authors: do-it-yourself, go out there and promote your work through Spoken Word. Anything might happen.”
About the book
Autofellatio is the memoir of singer, lyricist, writer and occasional actor James Maker. It begins with his teenage years in punk-era London, moving through the counter-cultural 1980s with an account of the indie group Raymonde and his association with pop artist, Morrissey. Visiting the adventures of rock group RPLA, the filming of “Middleton’s Changeling”, and the party years of the 1990s, it closes with his relocation to, and observations on, life in Spain.
