“At some of the lowest points in my life, books have been my light in the darkness.”
For the first four years of his life Tony’s speech was delayed and he communicated in his own language.
Concerned by this, his mother sat him down every day during the summer (or as often as a Mum with six other kids could) and taught him how to speak properly by reading to him. This gave Tony his lifelong passion for reading.
After finishing an English degree in University of Galway Tony followed his passion for sport and human performance but his love for reading and writing was never far from his mind.
When he was finishing his Hurling career he joined forces with talented writer TJ Flynn to work on an sports autobiography with a difference. Based on four years of his own diaries the intention was to write the most honest sports memoir they could. This they did and Screaming at the Sky was released to international acclaim. Published by Random House it became a cult classic due to its searing honesty about the inner world of a high performing athlete. With a foreword by Lance Armstrong and beautiful writing this book broke the mould and exposed the limitations of confining male stereotypes. Screaming at the Sky will be re-published with an additional chapter in 2024.
Tony’s next book The Teenager’s Book of Life was inspired by his decade long experience working with thousands of teenagers in schools and communities in different countries around the world. For two reasons he self-published this book. Firstly he wanted to understand the publishing industry in depth and secondly he didn’t think any traditional publisher would take it on as the possibility of the book being banned was high. This was because Tony knew what teenagers really needed to hear and he wanted it to be true to youth needs and not adult sensibilities.
“I wanted to write a book that I knew from listening to thousands teenagers was what they really needed to hear. I wanted it to be like an honest conversation with an older brother or sister or relatable aunt or uncle that told teenagers what life is really like and how they can stay true to themselves in a world that just wants them to be all the same. The feedback I get from teenagers is that it is the most honest book of its kind they have ever come across. That is good enough for me”
In 2023 Tony moved from non-fiction to fiction and started working on his first novel. It is called RED and is in the Young Adult Fiction genre.
“I never really saw myself as a writer. I just felt like I wanted to express everything inside myself. Sometimes I find it easier to do that when I write than through speaking. I never intended to write fiction but the story of RED came to me one day while on a lonely cycle in a rainstorm and by the time I got back to the car it was mapped out in my head. Writing it has been a humbling experience as I have learned that fiction is a different beast altogether and you must learn the craft.”
BOOKS BY TONY GRIFFIN
Writing
Reviews of The Teenager’s Book of Life…