WHO is Anthony English?

Anthony (Tony) English is an Australian Author who relocated to Valla in the Nambucca Valley in 2014.

Prior to moving to Valla, he was a lecturer in International management at Flinders University in Adelaide.

Tony has lived and worked in a variety of places internationally, including Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, The Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

His professional roles included civil servant, development project manager, executive head-hunter and international negotiation advisor.

Tony released his first fiction book on November 1 2020 called ‘Death of a Coast Watcher’, published by Monsoon Books.

Even though this is his first fiction book, Tony isn’t a stranger to writing.

“I have published academic works and journalism including articles in The Australian and The Financial Review,” Tony told News Of The Area.

In 2019 the second story written by Tony was short-listed for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

“It had over 5,000 entries from 50 countries,” he said.

Tony has also written a non-fiction book called ‘Tug of War: The tension concept and the art of international negotiation’, which analysed international negotiation in hostage release, diplomacy, trade and business.

So, what is Tony’s first foray into fiction, ‘Death of a Coast Watcher’ about?

“In 1943 on Bougainville Island, New Guinea, a Japanese officer beheads Hugh Rand, an Australian spy — a coast watcher.

“The spectators include villagers he terrorised as his mind frayed under the stress of pursuit by soldiers and their hounds.

“Rand’s influence transcends his death.

“For decades he plagues characters who strive to cope with him and one another in New Guinea, the Gilbert Islands, Australia and Japan.

Who misperceives? Lies? Self-destructs? Suffers? Loves?

“The layers unfold as the author entices us through cultural, historical and intellectual curtains, deep into minds and relationships disturbed by the Pacific war and Rand’s legacy.”

Lisa Hall of ANZ Lit Lovers wrote of ‘Death of a Coast Watcher’, “One of the pleasures of a blog like mine is that sometimes there is an opportunity to introduce a really fine work of fiction to readers who might otherwise never get to hear about it.”

Congratulations to Tony for the release of his latest novel.

His book is available through Coffs Harbour Book Warehouse, Amazon books and the Monsoon Books website.

 

By Tamara MCWILLIAM