‘An illuminating memoir of the eighties, nineties and noughties from a gay man who only just survived them.’

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Available from Amazon, Blackwells, Bookshop.org UK, Foyles, Gay's The Word, Hive,  The Portobello Bookshop, WH Smith or your favourite bookstore

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Signed copies available from Mr B’s, Gay Pride Shop, Queer Lit and The Hastings Bookshop

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Also available from Amazon US, Barnes&Noble, Bookshop.org, Thrift Books and Hares and Hyenas Aus 

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Paul Flynn, Evening Standard - ‘Probably the gay book of the year... documents with poetic transparency how coming of age in the 1980s turned him from a plucky young outsider to an accidental power in LGBTQ+ agitprop politics.’

 

Russell T Davies - ‘Paul Burston is the best of us. A great activist, a great journalist, a great man. This memoir is brutally honest, powering through the AIDS crisis, gay shame, addiction, all the way through to hope and redemption. If you’re in trouble, read this: Paul shows that you can survive. Wonderful.’

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Bernardine Evaristo - ‘A compelling and hugely enjoyable memoir about a fearless life lived to the full. From the

groundbreaking gay activism over many decades to the wild years of intoxication and compulsive sex, I so admired Burston’s ruthless honesty and brave emotional vulnerability.’

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Jonathan Harvey - ‘We stand on the shoulders of giants. One of those giants is Paul Burston, and his memoir about his life, his activism, the AIDS crisis, Bowie and much more is told in his own bold, smart, inimitable style.’

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Janet Ellis - ‘What a book! Honest, vivid, raw, revealing and written with generosity and charisma.’

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Nicholas Pegg - ‘Whether or not you lived through the same tumultuous times as Paul Burston, and whatever your own triumphs and tragedies along the way, We Can Be Heroes is a book that speaks to us all: a gripping, courageous, compassionate memoir which, like Paul’s hero David Bowie, takes us by the hand and reminds us that we’re not alone.’

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Joelle Taylor - ‘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.’

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Erin Kelly - ‘Burston’s generation of gay men and lesbians are the giants upon whose shoulders today’s queer youth stand, and this book sets out his achievements and struggles in unflinching, compassionate, angry and often blackly comic detail. An urgent, unmissable read.’

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Juno Roche - ‘Paul Burston has been there through years of gay history and struggle, often right on the very front line fighting for space, fighting for others. I read this straight through - couldn’t put it down. It’s a gorgeous memoir.’

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John Marrs - ‘I laughed, almost cried and wanted to give the younger Paul the tightest hug... A brutally honest, unflinching memoir and eye witness account of the most important time in our gay British history, from someone who not only lived and survived it, but who helped to shape it. Indispensable.’

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Louise Swanson - ‘Paul’s story is one of trauma, danger, excess and pain, but also one of compassion, strength, fight and bravery. I defy anyone not be moved by this powerful memoir.’ 

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Sophia Blackwell - ‘A moving, gossipy, spicy read with pacing that recalls Burston’s thrillers and society comedies but with a loving, angry heart all of its own.’

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Matt Cain - ‘I raced through this wonderful memoir by senior statesman of queer culture, Paul  Burston. It’s illuminating, engrossing and electrifying.’

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Louisa Young - ‘Paul Burston brings London in the ’80s roaring back like a fever dream: the romance, the squats, the friends, the deaths, the activism, the clubs, the burning desires. It’s a strong, loving memoir of a very intense time.’

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Claire Allan - ‘Raw, honest, funny in places and incredibly moving... an unmatched look at into the life of a movement going through hell but never stopping, and of people fighting to be seen and to live their most authentic lives.’

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Maxine Mei-Fung Chung - ‘We Can Be Heroes: A Survivor’s Story is a slamming tour de force that speaks to activism, recovery and everything in-between. Paul’s passion for storytelling is defiant and tender, his refusal to ignore bold topics (AIDS, addiction, shame, grief, trauma) that shroud marginalised voices beyond generous. Read it and step closer to understanding the resilience needed to survive and rise. Read it and be changed.’

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Bob Hughes, book blogger - ‘At turns deeply moving, at turns hilarious, this is a poignant memoir... with a razor-sharp focus on details of a period of time that was so pivotal for queer lives.’

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Declan C, reviewer - ‘Paul’s wonderful book adds another essential history to the era of LGBTQ activism in the midst of the Aids catastrophe. Frankly, there can’t be enough of these personal histories of that time - and this is sure to resonate with audiences who lived through it and the ones that are just learning about the horrors (and inspiration) of that period from shows like It’s A Sin.’

 

e Heroes is a fitting homage to those who are no longer here. For the younger generation who take their freedoms for granted, this book is a must read.’

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NetGalley reviewer - ‘Paul Burston seems to have lived at least six lives in one and each is worthy of its own biography.

From the early story of a young man moving to the city and coming to terms with his sexuality, to life as an activist during the AIDS crisis, to his later reinvention as a novelist and literary host, this book unfolds at a breakneck speed. There are many difficult issues discussed here and Burston doesn’t shy away from the issues affecting his community and indeed his own life but it remains a very human story, even witty at times. A detailed, sometimes funny, often harrowing, always unflinching look at recent British history.’

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