November 28, 2008

“Trust the Darkness – My Life as a Writer" by Tony Winkler

Tony WinklerAnthony (Tony) Winkler, will officially launch his autobiography “Trust the Darkness – My Life as a Writer” at Bookophilia 6:30pm on Monday, December 1, 2008.

Winkler was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He attended schools in Kingston and Montego Bay and left Jamaica when he was 21 to pursue a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in English. A teacher in his 2nd form English class at Cornwall College, one Mr. Findlay, first noticed his talent for writing.

Years later, working as a textbook salesman in California, he realized that he could improve on the writing in the books he was trying to sell. Instinctively, he wrote and submitted two chapters which earned him his first book advance of $1,000. He has been writing passionately ever since.


He is a member of the Writer’s Guild of America and he was elected president of the Atlanta Jamaica Association for two terms. Winkler’s first novel, “The Painted Canoe”, took ten years to write, and a similar length of time to find a publisher, with Jamaica’s Kingston Publishers releasing the book in 1984, followed by “The Lunatic” (1987), “The Great Yacht Race” (1992), the autobiographical “Going Home to Teach” (1995), and “The Duppy” (1997). The U.K.-based Macmillan Caribbean acquired Winkler’s catalogue and published “The Annihilation of Fish and Other Stories” in 2004, and “Dog Wars” in 2006. He also wrote the film scripts of “The Lunatic” and “Fish”, and co-wrote “Bob Marley, My Son” with Cedella Marley Booker.


Tony and his lovely wife, Cathy, were married 33 years ago on All Heroes in the small village of Colgate in St. Ann, Jamaica. Cathy travels with him to various appearances.

Host: Bookophilia
Date:Monday, December 1, 2008

Time: 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Location: Bookophilia

Street: 92 Hope Road

City/Town: Kingston, Jamaica


Contact Phone: 9785248

Email: bookophilia@gmail.com

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As a lover of all things Winkler, I'm going to be one of the first to get this book.

5 comments:

FSJL said...

I already have a copy, having written a review for the Society for Caribbean Studies. You should definitely get it. I think you'll find the justifications for screwing the servants a bit self-serving.

J.M said...

I read Painted Canoe and haven't forgotten Zechariah Pelsey, one ugly brother whose wife overturned his firm belief in the marriage position, but quite a hero nonetheless, who had equally strong views about some existential questions like the nature and existence of God, and what stuff man is made up of.

Geoffrey Philp said...

Winkler has a knack for creating truly memorable characters--Jamaican or otherwise.

Anonymous said...

Never read a Winkler novel, but I hear he's good.

Geoffrey Philp said...

He's very good. Start with The Duppy and tell me what you think!