Tony Durrant

Tony Durrant is a former national newspaper journalist. He has an MA in Creative Writing and was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Award 2020 and longlisted in the Page Turner Writing Award 2022.

Tony grew up on industrial Tyneside, which he escaped regularly to explore the wilds of Northumberland. In the further pursuit of excitement he joined the Parachute Regiment reserves, which diverted his attention from school enough to gain him poor A-level results.

On leaving university he trained as a print journalist, working as a news reporter in the North of England. He became office-bound on the Daily Mirror in London and escaped to the wild places when he could, qualifying as a mountain leader, hiking and climbing throughout the UK and the Alps.

When his son was born he became a freelance writer and covered the rise of adventure sports, contributing to outdoor lifestyle magazines, but mostly the Daily Telegraph for which he also wrote a health and fitness column. He taught yoga on the side, encouraged by the surgeon who sorted out his spine (a parachuting legacy).

Work took him to many places, including Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan, in 2012 and 2014, where he had the idea for his historical adventure novel Veldt Hunter. His Work in Progress, Curlew Song, was also prompted by his time in Afghanistan.

He lives in the Pennine Hills of Cumbria with Sally and a Labrador called Harper.