STILKS

Stilks is the true story of Stellakis Stylianou, known to both his friends and his enemies as 'Stilks', a man who rose to become the most famous nightclub doorman in Britain. I ghost-wrote the book for Stilks back in 2002. It is my biggest-selling title to date. The key to its success is that unlike other so-called 'True Crime' books it is not simply packed with incidents of violence but is also full of humour and very funny anecdotes. Stilks is not a gangster per se, although he is famous for the 'Stilks strangulation' technique, but you wouldn't like to back-chat him if you were out clubbing it one night. Click on the cover opposite for more about the hardback.

ON THE DOORS

This is the paperback version of Stilks. The title was changed because the publisher wanted to emphasise the fact that Stilks was a nightclub bouncer. Stilks grew up in hard times in south London. He was from a poor background, rarely went to school, and about failing his 11+ exams famously said: 'I wasn't that surprised as I couldn't read or write.' He was left to fend for himself and as one of life's outcasts came to rely on brute force to get respect. Stilks says that when you feel you haven't been listened to it's not because you haven't expressed yourself but because you haven't made people fear you enough. 'Fear,' he says, 'gets respect. Remember that.' Click here for more about the paperback.

A FIGHTING CHANCE

This is the book I jokingly refer to as my 'underground classic' because although it is structurally better developed than Stilks and has a plot and ongoing mystery it was less successful. I ghost-wrote it for Ray 'Duch' Peter who was born a 'Thalidomide baby' and rejected by his parents at birth because of his physical deformities. He was shunted between foster parents and children's homes and almost inevitably became embroield in a life of crime. In and out of prison too many times to remember he came to despise authority. But amazingly when his life was spiralling totally out of control he fought back to become a black belt in martial arts and launch a music career. Although it is a story of violence and hardship it's also one of humour and triumph. Click on the cover opposite for more about the book.