Tony Rocca

Books behind my Byline

                                                              BY TONY ROCCA

I was born near Manchester in the north of England, where I grew up and joined a local newspaper at the age of seventeen. I graduated to the Daily Mail  in London where I spent ten years doing many editorial jobs, including a spell as New York correspondent. Then followed a further ten years in London with The Sunday Times as a reporter, feature-writer and foreign correspondent. My fifteen minutes of fame came with the demise of Now!  magazine which suddenly become Then!  (it folded on the very morning I joined). Next came a brief period as features editor of the Mail on Sunday  and several years freelancing from the South of France before Mira and I left for Italy and our adventure in Tuscany. My articles have appeared in most British national newspapers as well as The New York Times  and  Reader's Digest.  

 The Amazing Adventures of Wobblin’ Wobin

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A story about a bird with a fear of flying who rose to great heights. . . My new book for children which I wrote to encourage young people to expand their horizons and not be afraid to travel and encounter ‘foreign’ things. The message I hope to convey is that disabilities can be overcome. Everything is possible. You can live your dream.

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I’m hoping this will appeal to kids aged 7 - 11 (and maybe some adults too). Most of all it is the cheeky nature of the little robin that will have special resonance with them. Youngsters love to see someone “tough it out” and earn their stripes the hard way ­– especially if the journey comes with a few battle scars. Wobin is fearlessly cocky when putting himself in danger, as well as in fights with predator birds, and from having begun as an ugly duckling ends up transformed as a beautiful robin redbreast.

FULVIO TESTA is one of Italy’s most distinguished artists and has illustrated well-loved children’s books by several celebrated authors, including The Land Where the Ice Cream Grows by Anthony Burgess. I am honoured he has agreed to join me on the W…

FULVIO TESTA is one of Italy’s most distinguished artists and has illustrated well-loved children’s books by several celebrated authors, including The Land Where the Ice Cream Grows by Anthony Burgess. I am honoured he has agreed to join me on the Wobin project, and has created 21 charming illustrations, one for each chapter, the last of which I have adapted for the cover. Fulvio was born in Verona and lives in Italy and New York.