Tony Levy interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

I am a 70-year-old retired man from Tottenham in north London. Happily married to an amazing woman Jacinta (she's had to put up with me all these years) and two grown up daughters who each have two children of their own. My wife and I took early retirement and moved to Spain for the warmer climate and slower paced lifestyle, which has given me the opportunity to follow my love of writing.

I started writing late in life, wrote my first book back in 2011 which was supposed to be a-one-off autobiography of my 25-year career working in Her Majesty’s Prison Service in the UK. However, subsequent events meant I needed a follow up book and then another one as it quickly became evident that my writing was in fact a personal search for my own piece of El Dorado.

This in turn has now turned into a further book, a prequal, which has recently been released and is my first attempt at self-publishing. Not bad for a 70-year-old who only really ever wanted to be a professional footballer (soccer for my American friends).

When did your love of books begin?  

I suppose my love of books began when I was around 5 or 6. I came from a poor working-class family that didn’t have much but we had books, old books but books. We didn’t have a TV so the only entertainment we had as kids was inventing our own games or reading these old books, but my main interest was Football and I would read all I could about football and in particular my team.

But I was always fascinated with history and many of the books were historical so I guess this is really what led to my three loves of Football, History and Books.

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?  

Although at 15 and again at 40 I had won two very different writing competitions one was to write about my favourite football player in my local team and the prize was a trip around the stadium meeting all the players and manager, and the other was for a running magazine which gave me an entry into that years London Marathon I had never thought about writing a book until a Linda LaPlant TV drama which showed the prison service in a commercial but un factual light. I was so annoyed with the drama that I turned the TV off and stopped watching it. The next day, still fuming at the program, a female colleague in my office said I should write a book and put my side of the story of prison officers and our daily lives. This really sowed the seed and I did in fact start to write my book from then. That was back in 2008 and my first book A Turnkey or Not? Was published in December 2011.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

Fascinating and amazing, once I started to write about my 25 years in the prison service the memories came flooding back. In fact, I could probably write my first book again with all new different stories as I still have new memories of my time in that industry. Once I started to write I could not stop. I guess writing your own memories must be easier than writing a fictitious book. I didn’t need to develop characters as they were already in place, and no story line except once I put my memories down on paper. All I had to do was think of chapter titles and then put them into some sort of chronological order. Yes actually conversations were hard to remember but being a writer we can use some sort of literary license to write down those conversations. Although not verbatim they are an accurate reflection of what was really said at the time.

I sent out many manuscripts to publishers and one was interested enough to offer me a contract to publish my book. The editing was hard as the person editing had not worked in my industry and therefore the technical details along with any security implication had to be accurate and not in breach of the Official Secrets Act. However, the process was smooth and quick and relatively easy.

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

What are you waiting for? Just go and do it! I honestly believe that there is a book in all of us and if I from my background could write a book then anybody can and should. It’s a bit like starting that fitness routine, you have bought the footwear and the kit to go with it so now all you have to do is open that front door and take that first step. Writing is the same as taking that first step, you might not think anybody is interested in reading your story but you're wrong and if only one person reads it then you have become a published author and writer. I never set out in the belief that I would make money out of writing (and to date I haven’t) but I have achieved my ambition to leave a heritage to my children, grandchildren, and the generations to follow, and they will be able to say in the future ‘yes I know my grandad he wrote books.’

What more could anybody want?

Tell us about your book/books: 

My first book as I said earlier was supposed to be a one of Autobiography about my 25 years working for HMPrison Service, its officer’s side of the story unlike any other book about prisons it does not contain graphic description of fights, drugs, and sensationalism that you see on the TV or in other books but its an honest reflection of life for staff during that period. I had an ex-colleague message me shortly after the book was published saying ‘Levy you bastard I can’t put your book down, I recognise all those people in the book and can’t wait to read the next chapter, you got it spot on.’

That meant so much to me.

My second book came about as when the first book ended people asked me if I had found my El Dorado and I realised that I had left no end to my book, I had also after taking early retirement, gone to live in Spain, had to returned to work due to the economic situation at the time and was working as a security officer at Heathrow Airport T5. Had I found my El Dorado? Well, that was an interesting question and one I felt needed answers so I wrote my second book El Dorado? No! Heathrow Airport. Once again, it's an insiders reveal as to what really goes on at one of the world’s busiest airports. First published in November 2017 I explain about airport security and how passengers and management behave towards security staff. I had more insults in my time at Heathrow than in my whole career working in prisons. Passengers’ behaviour was incredible and so rude to the staff unbelievable.

I am writing the third part in what has become a trilogy all about my quest to find my El Dorado and it is about living on an ex pat community in Spain but I think I will have to move homes before I can publish this book as some people may not like my perception and interpretation of their behaviour here in Spain.

However, before this book could be completed, I realised that there was a prequel to the trilogy about my life before joining HMP, and The Road to “L” Do You Remember Your Driving Instructor? Has been written and released earlier this year. Yes, I was a driving instructor back in 1980 to 1982 working for BSM in central London. I have self-published this book due to the covid pandemic publishers are much more selective with their contracts and therefore for me the best way to get published was to self-publish. I think as making money is not a driving force for me to want to get my story out there self-publishing is a good idea.

This book is about life in London during that period and some of the amazing characters I met whilst working as a driving instructor. It is my best book and the most entertaining book I have yet written.

What do you love about the writing/reading community? 

Everybody is so supportive of each other and also there is so much information out there that the writing/reading communities share with each other. I have learnt so much about writing and publishing which has really helped me, and it’s a two way street. I have given advice to others about my writing process and hopefully have always tried to encourage people to take that first step and that is what a good community is all about helping and encouraging others.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

OMG thank you so much for reading my books and hope you enjoyed them as they are written for others to enjoy.

Where can people connect with you?  

I have a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/tony.levy.5

and also, Twitter https://twitter.com/author_tonylevy?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

I am also on Goodreads under Tony Levy

And of course, my books on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WYDVTBX

https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B006WWECBI