Screening of One For The Books: The Maupin Marathon (2023) and Q&A with director Rose Collis

In 1984, HM Customs raided the legendary Gay’s the Word bookshop and seized 2,000+ books. They included Tales of the City, Armistead Maupin’s trailblazing novels. The shop’s directors and managers were charged with importing ‘indecent or obscene material’ and faced up to two years in prison. £50,000 was needed to cover the legal costs to fight these absurd charges, which were rightly viewed as an attack on the whole gay community.

In April 1985, Peter Scott-Presland’s Consenting Adults in Public theatre group staged the ‘Maupin Marathon’ fundraiser: a 28-hour non-stop rehearsed reading of the first four Tales of the City books, featuring many notable performers and activists, including Gay’s The Word co-manager, Linda Semple, Fi Craig and…Rose Collis.

After being turned down for funding by the BFI and Arts Council England (twice), fifty generous people contributed to a crowd-funder which raised almost £6,000 so this film could be made. It was completed in late May 2023 and already has won a major global independent film award, been nominated for a second and is an ‘Official Selection’ in five other international film festivals.

The Cinema Museum is pleased to present a London premiere screening for One For The Books, followed by a Q&A with myself and Peter Scott-Presland, culminating in his presenting her with the two awards from the International Lesbian and Gay Culture Network.

Doors open at 18.00, for a 19.00 start.

Refreshments will be available in our licensed cafe/bar.