Welcome to the exciting website of Tony Giles – blind world traveller and writer.
Read more about Tony.
My Books
I have written and published three eBooks about my world adventures.
My eBooks are travel biographies of the observations and experiences of a totally blind and partially deaf man as he travels independently around the world having exciting adventures. The most recent volume, Seeing a Slice of Southern Africa My Way, published 31 December 2020, is a journey of continued self-discovery as I plot my way from multi-cultural South Africa with its complex society, to Malawi, with its picturesque and peaceful nature. This third book takes the reader through parts of Southern Africa, and offers a brief glimpse into a little of Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
News
Blog post / Beirut Explosion (5th August 2020)
My thoughts are with the incredible people of Beirut and Lebanon. An amazing country and city. What a travesty! I remember my ten days in that fascinating country and, in particular, Beirut with fondness :). Hospitable, emotional people, tasty food, lively cafes, crumbling streets, a diversity of colourfully dressed people, crazy traffic and such a vibrant city and society. To me, Beirut felt like a nightclub in a building site! Walking around that chaotic metropolis, blind, Read more →Saturday Night Lockdown interview (30th July 2020)
Blog post / Continued racial profiling in police stop and search! (7th July 2020)
Bianca Williams: Athlete accuses police of racial profiling after vehicle search – BBC Sport This is one of the many reasons why the Black Lives Matter movement has sprung up and become active. It’s because of events like this by police who continuously use their ‘stop and search’ powers to harass black people on an an assumption that all black people are involved in illegal drugs or are gang members. Especially if they are driving an expensive looking vehicle.
Read more →Blog post / Removing Statues? (28th June 2020)
An interesting article about plaks and statue of famous actor, John Wayne being removed at Orange County Airport, California. I don’t agree with Waynes’ comments, but rather than removing his statue, maybe a plak explaining both his good and bad points. It was a different era. www.mercurynews.com/2020/06/27/leaders-push-to-remove-john-wayne-name-statue-from-orange-county-airport/
We have to educate people and ourselves, not erase the past, but learn from it. Does one now ban all John Wayn films because they portray Native Americans (Red Indians) in a negative light?
Blog post / Do Native Americans Matter? (24th June 2020)
Black lives matter. This is correct and should be highlighted everywhere and the push for change and equality must continue, both in the UK, US and other nations where inequality for black people and other ethnic minorities occur. Australia, South Africa, India, China, and Myanmar among many other nations. But do Native American lives matter? Seemingly not. The more one researches these subjects, the more the individual must be increasingly horrified. The USA has a long and horrific history with the native American.
Read more →Blog post / Pulling Down Statues! (10th June 2020)
Pulling down and/or removing statues commemorating people involved in the European slave trade and/or Britain’s involvement in India during the colonial era is an interesting action. It is immediate and has a direct impact, which many people who are angry about the current situation of racism in our society, both direct and subtle, can pour their frustrations into. Nevertheless, it will be a mixture of direct action combined with peaceful demonstration and conversation and discussion that will slowly move the situation forward towards positive change for black people.
Read more →Itchy Feet podcast (28th May 2020)
Listen to Tony talking to Jo O’Connor on the Itchy Feet podcast.
For more details visit: https://shows.acast.com/itchy-feet-travel-podcast/episodes/tony-giles
BBC Travel Show interview (7th May 2020)
Check out this new BBC Travel Show interview with Tony.