Tony Hawks Knihy

Popis cesty anglického autora, zpěváka, komika a herce (např. Červený trpaslík) Tonyho Hawkse okolo Irska s lednicí. Když už se člověk vsadí a prohraje, měl by svůj dluh splatit, i když si na něj nepamatuje. Kniha o tom, kterak i zavřená lednice může otevřít cestu k lidem.

Britský deník Daily Telegraph pozval sedm rozdílných anglických autorů na jeden víkend do Súdánu, „aby se osobně angažovali ve válce, která byla do té doby mimo jejich dosah...“ Každý z autorů je mistrem svého žánru – a každý z nich musel vykročit ze svého odlišného, nicméně podobně výlučného světa. Irvine Welsh, znalec drogové subkultury Edinburghu; Alex Garland, nonkonformní autor dobrodružných románů; Victoria Glendinningová, autorka zachycující životy z jiných století; Andrew O’Hagan, pronikavý kronikář současných životů; Bill Deedes, který je již 70 let novinářem, psal poprvé v životě beletrii; a Tony Hawks se pokoušel složit se súdánskými domorodci píseň. Pouze Giles Foden se skupinou necestoval. Jeho příspěvek, o který jsme požádali až později, jelikož jeho zkušenosti z Afriky dodaly knize další rozměr, byl napsán před hrozivými událostmi 11. září.

"September 1997. Tony Hawks and Arthur Smith are watching the football round at Tony's house. England are playing Moldova in the World Cup qualifiers and winning easily. The conversation, oddly, turns to tennis, which Arthur has always asserted is a 'crap game', especially after Tony beat him at it on holiday in Majorca, easily. A pedantic argument ensues, Tony believing that even a 'natural sportsman or sportswoman' couldn't be good at tennis without the proper tuition. Arthur vowing that most natural sportsmen (like the footballers on the telly) could pick up a racket and, without too much bother, play a good game, in fact, they could beat Tony (ex-Sussex junior champion, former Equity Knockout winner). And so a childish bet was profferd that Tony couldn't play all of the Moldovan national football team at tennis (I believe a hundred pounds is sufficient to get you doing these kind of things) and beat them all. I could, I could beat them all, said Tony. Not every single one of them, taunted his friend conspiratorially, One of them is bound to be very good. A further carrot was clearly needed. Look if you beat them all then Ill stand naked on Balham High Street and sing the Moldov

The author reflects on his quest, emphasizing that if life is just a journey, it should be enjoyable. The book advocates for simple mantras like "Do something silly" and "Follow your intuition" to enhance life's enjoyment.

Inspired by breathtaking views and romantically dreaming of finding love in the mountains, Tony Hawks impulsively buys an idyllic house in the French Pyrenees. And here, he imagines, he will finally fulfil his childhood fantasy of mastering the piano, all the while overlooking spectacular views as the troubles of the world pass by unnoticed. Tony's hopelessly ill-prepared stumbling into the world of overseas home ownership is perhaps best read as a useful manual of how not to go about buying a house abroad. He flirts with the removal business in a disastrous attempt to take his piano over to France in a dodgy white van; foolishly elects to build a swimming pool himself; and takes his experience of relationships to a new level when he finds himself co-habiting, not with a beautiful French woman, but with his old mate Ron the builder from West London. Yet, as Tony and his small group of friends haplessly attempt to integrate themselves into local village life, they learn more about themselves and each other than they ever bargained for. And for at least one of them, love is found at last, in the most unexpected of places ...

Fast forward to the 21st century and Tony has left these heady music biz days behind. That cherished appearance on 'Top of the Pops' is but a distant memory. These days music is just a hobby. That is until it is suggested that Tony is a One Hit Wonder. That he would never have been a hit again. Ever. Really? Well, we'll see about that... Over eighteen months Tony battles against all the odds to have a hit, somewhere anywhere in the world. He changes act and styles with a bewildering lack of integrity. He travels to Nashville, the song writing capital of the universe. To Amsterdam for that elusive novelty Euro anthem. He beats the grubby streets of London in search of a million dollar deal, and journeys to a remote African village to discover the ultimate melody. Amidst all the uncertainty only one thing is clear. If anyone is optimistic and determined enough to pull this off, it is Tony Hawks. In ONE HIT TO HOLLYWOOD anything is possible...

Dopo l'esperienza africana di Weekenders, ancora una volta il Daily Telegraph ha riunito lrvine Welsh, Monica Ali, Michel Atherton, Bella Bathurst, Jenny Colgan, Simon Garfield, W. F. Deedes, Tony Hawks, Victoria Glendinning, Sam Millet e Colm Toibin per catapultarli a Calcutta: dal confort e dalla modernità delle loro occidentalissime città, Londra e Edimburgo, a un luogo dove il passato parla ancora e il futuro chiama più forte che mai. Da quell'esperienza sono nati i racconti compresi in questa antologia che, mescolando la fiction al reportage di viaggio, riflettono modi diversi di vedere una metropoli che è nel mondo simbolo di povertà e miseria e che i suoi abitanti chiamano la Città della Gioia.