The Orton Diaries by Joe Orton, John Lahr (ed)

From December 1966 until his murder in August 1967, Joe Orton kept a series of diaries, which are one of the most candid and unfettered accounts of that remarkable era. The diaries chronicle frankly and hilariously the literary successes (capped with an Evening Standard Award and overtures from the Beatles), the rejection of all conventions, and the astonishing sexual adventures of a true literary iconoclast who believed there was no sense in being a rebel without applause.
 
 During his short life he rose to fame as one of England's most provocative young dramatists and epitomised London in the swinging 1960s. His openly gay lifestyle has turned him into an iconic figure. He was murdered by his mentor and lover Kenneth Halliwell in 1967.