Featured Interview With Author Tony Levy
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I'm 71 years old man born in Tottenham England. A loving family man and former prison officer. I am married to my best friend and soul mate and we celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary later this year.
We live our lives in Spain nowadays and enjoy our time together along with friends as much as we can and try to make each day count. Our memories when we look back are amazing and we have visited so many countries during our wonderful life together making these incredible memories. Life is for living and we owe it to our parents to make the most of what they have sacrificed for us to have the opportunities we have.
In 2008 and after 25 years working for HMPrison Service in the UK I took my pension pot and moved to Spain to spend our early retirement in the sun. I wrote my first book an autobiography A Turnkey or Not? It's about my prison service life where I worked for 25 years.
My wife and I, however, temporarily moved back to the UK due to the economic climate, at the time. And I returned to working life. at Heathrow Airport in the security screening area. Working here gave me the insiration to write a follow up book which is called El Dorado? No! Heathrow Airport and is an insiders reveal of how we all behave when confronted by Airport Security.
Returning to our retirement life in Spain in 2015 before the world once again went mad with Covid and then Russia invading Ukraine and all the subsequent disasters happening throughout the world I thought it was a good idea to write my latest book a prequal to my other two books.
The Road to "L" was written and published in 2021 and is receiving some wonderfully encouraging reviews.
My wife and I have survived some personal tragedies (like most people) especially during my diagnosis of prostate cancer and my subsequent treatment and recovery, an experience I don't think I could have survived without the love and support from my wife.
We adopted several street kittens during a period of storms (Gota Frias) who turned up on our doorstep during these storms, which led us to joining a dedicated team of cat lovers who with the help of our local town hall and charities attempt to capture, neuter and then return those that cannot be rehomed into the wild but we have several feeding stations of which I feed at one of them twice a day and although I feed street cats (not feral) they are so friendly and loving allowing me to pet them and even pick them up after they have run up the street to meet me on my way to feed them each day
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved literature thanks to a wonderful English Literary teacher at school that made books so fascinating, but I won a writing competition in a local newspaper when I was 13 which started my real interest, winning another writing competition in 1991 which gave me an entry into the London Marathon which I completed in 3hrs 22 mins when I was forty but only wrote my first book in 2011 and my second book in 2017, which led to a third book which was released in 2021.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite author is Sir Winston Churchill and his book ‘The history of the English speaking peoples’ heavy going but a brilliant read
I don't have a favourite genre as I am always willing to keep an open mind for all book, I like Lee Childs and his series of Reacher, and my range of inspirations for writing is a wide spectrum from Leon Uris to JK Rowlands.
People inspire my writing, I observe and experience their behaviour and put it into my words as I find people are so fascinating and always surprise you.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Road to 'L' Do you remember your driving instructor? Well, they sure remember "You".
Set in Central London during the period 1981 to1983 when I was a driving instructor in London working for The British School of Motoring.
Pitched somewhere between the old English classic carry-on films and a series of sexy films called Confessions of… It's a humorous memoir of my time as a driving instructor; I reveal the stories of what can happen on a driving lesson, the offers of sexual favours the sometimes strange characters I met on lessons and the actual driving routes I used all around the famous and historic landmarks of London.
My books are all humorous memoirs hopefully in the style of Terry Pratchett They should appeal to anybody who likes anecdotal tales, I have tried to write in the style that would make you believe you are in a restaurant and I am with you just recounted episodes of my life or in a pub having a drink with friends, and I’m relating anecdotal stories about my life to you as any good raconteur would.
The Road to ‘L’ is an eye-opening poignant and often hilarious romp through my years as a professional driving instructor in Central London back in the early 1980s. I relate stories of people’s behaviour, conversations and downright dangerous things that happened to me during their lessons and their time learning to drive in my tuition car. I recount the amazing tales of some of the things that could have come straight out of a Bond movie along with the inappropriate offers of sex I received. You will meet the amazing nun sister Mary Clara and her meeting with one of the famous Beatles back in the day. Travel throughout London and all the amazing sites this city offers and all on a driving lesson, or be part of being bombed twice in one day on two separate lessons, by the IRA. Learn about the Falkland Islands war, from the perspective of both sides.
My book is a journey through the eyes of a professional driving instructor that will amaze you and also amuse you. It's a chronological history of the world events that affected London during this period, and of course about learning to drive a car. But in reality, the book is about people, always about the people and how they can reveal so much about themselves whilst in the company of their driving instructor. With some amazing stories, and some scary situations, but above all humour. This book is a prequel to my first two books and a further look into the story of my life and my search for my own El Dorado.
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