Julian Costley, CEO & publisher at Bite-Sized Books, interviews some of our authors to provide further background to their books and to their approach to writing. And a little ‘behind-the-scenes’ glimpse of their life and influences.
In this edition Julian talks to author, journalist, TV presenter, and life coach Angela Antetomaso about her novel, A Year of Pandemic in New York: The Fall and Rise of the Big Apple – published by Bite-Sized Books, her career in television journalism, and what happened when she interviewed Richard Branson.
Welcome Angela to our Meet Our Authors series. It’s always a good place to start by asking how you first came into contact with Bite-Sized Books?
Thank you Julian. My first contact with Bite-Sized Books was actually thanks to John Mair – who incidentally I see was your Meet Our Authors No.5 guest. I have worked with John writing essays for some of his great books.
It all actually started with the book “Do they mean us? – The Foreign Correspondents’ View of Brexit” – and as an Italian journalist who had lived in London for more than twenty years, I definitely had plenty to say about that! John liked my piece and also had it published in other publications with the help of another great editor, Professor Richard Keeble. I went on contributing to several of John’s books about various topics: the Pandemic, Boris Johnson, even the Royal Family. That was interesting, and lots of fun.
One day, while chatting with Paul Davies, founder and current chairman of Bite-Sized Books, about my new life in New York City, I told him about how the pandemic had changed not only the lifestyle, but also the soul of this great city. Paul casually said: “Why don’t you write your own book about this?” He thought that a book about that topic could be appealing to many, mostly considering the fact that it would be a panoramic of a symbolic place such as NYC, at an extremely difficult point in history, and from a foreign journalist’s point of view. So that was it. I loved the idea, and wrote the book. That was just before you, Julian, came on board. Then you and I worked together to get it published. Thanks so much to you and Paul for making this happen, and it was indeed a great experience working with you both.
You’re an Italian living in New York. When did you move to the United States. What took you there?
I moved to New York in October 2019 – can’t believe it’s already five years, time really flies. It wasn’t meant to be a full-time move actually: the plan was for me to split my time between New York and London, but things changed completely with the Covid restrictions. And now here I am, and still very excited to be. Years ago though, after a couple of decades in London, my life was settled and very happy there – that is, until Brexit. Brexit was a real disruption for me, since I also had the unfortunate experience of being verbally attacked in the street – in full daylight and in the very heart of the city. It was around 11am in Westminster Square on a crisp, sunny morning. I was just about to get off a bus, minding my own business while going through my emails on my phone. Out of the blue I was approached by someone who – initially quite politely – asked me what country I was from. As he heard I was from Italy, he angrily shouted at me, insulted me and told me to go back to my ‘effing’ country.
The shock at this – after happily living, working, owning a home, and paying taxes in the UK for half my lifetime – was quite strong.
Sadly, a couple of friends of mine had a similar experience, and the situation started to personally become quite difficult – so when my husband and I had the opportunity to move overseas thanks to a new job offer, we didn’t think twice. For six months I really did split my time between London and New York, travelling back and forth every two weeks, but when the world’s borders were closed with the pandemic, I had a hard decision to make.
I was in London at the time, my family was in Covid-struck Italy, my husband in New York, where the virus had just started spreading. Italy had just been shut and nobody could get in nor out. As soon as I heard that they were going to also close the US border, I thankfully managed to find a last-minute flight to NYC. I rushed to Heathrow, got on that plane and landed at JFK just minutes before they completely shut the borders – and they remained shut for 21 months. Looking back, I am so glad I decided not to stay put, and rushed back home – at least my husband and I were able to be together throughout the pandemic. From that moment on, my life stabilized in New York. We still have a house in London and we go back to the UK regularly, but after what we went through, I now also feel very much at home here.
You’ve had an extraordinarily successful career as a journalist, a TV anchor and belatedly as an author. How did you get into journalism?
I always wanted to be a journalist, since I was a little girl. When I set my mind on something I usually make it happen, and I can say I managed to start early. I had my first article published on a national daily newspaper when I was only 16 years old. I continued to work for that paper and another magazine throughout College and University. Over the years, while watching re-runs of the Larry King Show in order to improve my English, I started dreaming of moving to the US working for CNN, so as soon as I graduated I sent them my CV. When I got an offer to join them as an Intern in their offices in New York, I couldn’t believe it.
It was truly an amazing experience. The initial three months became a permanent one-and-a-half years. I loved it. Among other things, I even managed to get to know Larry King and work on his show for a while, which was a wonderful gift for me.
After CNN, you worked at Bloomberg, CNBC, and Forbes, in the roles of TV Presenter, Show Host and Correspondent. Which role was the most rewarding for you?
To be entirely honest, I think my whole carrier has been incredibly rewarding. I always loved my job, and that allowed me to start every day with passion and drive – definitely needed in such a demanding role. I will never forget the early years’ night shifts, nor the 5am wake up calls to be ready for the morning show. But that, too, was part of the game.
Looking back, I can probably say the earlier years were unforgettable. Everything was new. I had already worked in journalism for years, but I could never imagine what I was going to experience in NYC.
CNN was at the top of their success at the time, and I was based at their United Nations offices in central Manhattan. I remember the General Assembly at the time – everyone was there. In a few days I had the privilege to come face to face with many world leaders, figures I had previously only seen on TV – from Bill Clinton to Jiang Zemin, from Jacques Chirac to Shimon Peres, and so many others. At a point, I even crossed paths with Fidel Castro, in one of his rare visits to the US. It was mind-blowing for me. Every day was a discovery, there was always something surprising. Those were the great years of CNN. I think lots has changed since then, but I am really grateful for my time there.
When I joined Blomberg, still in NYC, it was a different kind of excitement: when I went for my first job interview, they said I had ‘the perfect face for the camera’ and asked me to do a screen test. It was totally unexpected and I was not prepared at all, but I took the plunge and tried. As I finished, they looked at me, smiled and said: “Can you start tomorrow?”
Needless to say, I was in shock – but thrilled. They swiftly trained me to become a Presenter and Anchor, and in a matter of days I debuted on live TV. Again, I couldn’t believe it. I still recall the trepidation and the incredulity of the first months. After a short while they asked me if I was willing to move to London, UK. Bloomberg was setting up new channels in different languages there and needed help with putting together the Italian-speaking TV channel. I was ecstatic – I was in love with London, and after a fabulous time in New York, I was ready to move back to Europe. I loved those years at Bloomberg- every day was exciting and fascinating. I was presenting live on air, daily, on the English Channel, and then I was crafting the new Italian TV platform that was about to launch – from the look to the design, from the content to the talent scouting and the selection. I had a blast!
Moving to CNBC initially wasn’t easy – I really loved my job and my colleagues at Bloomberg – but it was definitely very appealing, and a different kind of challenge. There too, I was asked to help set up the Italian speaking channel, and it was great. My time there was super-busy and engaging. I was on air live for over 4 hours a day, every day. I had the opportunity to design, research and present my own talk-show, and over the years I conducted one-on-one interviews with thousands of high-profile and incredibly interesting guests. I also regularly reported from Westminster and Downing Street, and politics and current affairs became another big passion of mine. I grew a lot professionally, and ended up staying for a long time.
At Forbes I loved the flexibility, the open-mindedness of the people around me, and the independence that I had in choosing a topic and developing it. Pitching an idea was always welcome, and this made the job more valuable and gratifying. While at Forbes, I once had the opportunity to interview Richard Branson. I was still based in London at the time, and I was invited to a Virgin Galactic event in New York. I was ready to go! The editor liked the idea, and in a heartbeat I was on a British Airways flight to the Big Apple, excited to meet such an icon of the world of business and finance.
And what a fascinating encounter that was! I expected a stern magnate and instead found myself face to face with a really down-to-earth, incredibly fun and fascinating man. We talked more about his childhood and his family, than his success and career. We laughed and joked. It felt like being with an old friend. As we parted at the end of the interview, he gently took my hand, smiled and said: “Thank you, I had lots of fun. But next time, make sure you fly Virgin Atlantic!”
In conclusion, all of my roles so far have been equally rewarding, but the enthusiasm, the intensity and the awe of the early years will always stay with me.
Are we right to be concerned about the veracity of news coverage? And is it just perception, and not reality, that social media has caused mainstream media to ‘dumb down’ to some extent?
I believe a real lot has shifted since I first started, and I can definitely see a big change in how the mainstream media is operating now. Be it in regard to veracity, or credibility, or ‘dumbing down’, but when I look back I definitely feel things are very different now. At the time, we had to verify news extremely well before we could report anything. Now I am not sure if that’s the case any more. There would be lots to say in order to pinpoint exactly what has caused this huge and disrupting shift. I agree that in large part it could be down to the ultra-fast advance of social media, but I firmly believe it’s not only that. We have seen the world greatly changing during the pandemic and, undoubtedly, the same has happened in the media sector during the Covid emergency. My feeling is that working in media seems to be quite different now. Probably also less rewarding than it was a few years back. This said, I do have many wonderful colleagues in London and around the world who keep on doing an amazing job in journalism, and they are certainly keeping the stakes very high for the media sector.
Apart from your full commitment to your TV career, you’ve managed to squeeze in a period as a Brand Ambassador, a Member of the Board at Bayes Business School, a Keynote Speaker, and you are now also working as an Executive Leadership Coach. How did you manage that, and what does it entail?
After more than a decade working as a TV anchor, day in, day out, I started feeling the need to diversify a bit, so when an opportunity presented itself, I took it. On a daily basis I would continue doing my job, which I loved, but being able to squeeze in some other engagements turned out to be quite exciting.
Both the Brand Ambassador role at Leaders First and the Board membership at Bayes allowed me to meet new people, share my input and experience, learn new skills, and at the same time grow as a professional.
On the other hand, public speaking, chairing events, and moderating panels obviously go hand in hand with my profession, so that has always been easy for me, and very enjoyable.
In regard to the Executive Coaching, that actually started almost by chance about ten years ago, and turned out to be a real passion. Because of my broadcasting experience, I was asked to deliver some media training courses to managers and directors of large companies. I put a programme together, went all in, and loved it. I created my own media and communication company and started doing Coaching and Public Speaking in my spare time, while continuing to work in TV. I met a great mentor who gave me powerful tips and advice, I attended courses in Leadership and Coaching, and I put to good use the communication skills I had gained throughout years of live presenting. Now I am training and coaching leaders across America, and beyond. I get to meet fascinating figures, tell my story, and motivate people. Public speaking and Coaching have become my second skin, and I am so excited about this new lifestyle, that also allows me to travel and come across new people and cultures. I’ll always be a journalist at heart, though – and I keep on contributing to TV, magazines and papers both in Europe and in the US.
Coming to your role as an author, I should thank you again for choosing Bite-Sized Books to publish your first book, A Year of Pandemic in New York: The Fall and Rise of the Big Apple, written at the height of the pandemic. Tell us more?
The pandemic was, unquestionably, a very emotional time for everyone, and every single person has a story to tell about those years. For me, being away from my family, stuck in a major city like New York, with Covid raging through every community and at every corner, was indeed quite a shock. But having the chance of seeing Manhattan totally deserted and eerily quiet, apart from the never-ending sound of emergency sirens, was an unforgettable and life-changing experience. When Paul Davies suggested I tell the story in a Bite-Sized format, words flowed out, and the book came about very easily.
Many of us have experienced New York but never at such a time of change as a pandemic. I get a sense from the book that in the midst of so many terrible tragedies for so many people, there was a positive story to tell of human nature, and of nature itself?
Human nature could be very bad at times, but also very compassionate and touching, more often than we may expect. During the never-ending, overly-restrictive lockdown we had in NY, and with the ever-rising number of deaths all over the city – I started to notice that the very few people you met in the streets walking their dogs, the neighbours you’d look at from the window, the food delivery guy who challenged Covid at every turn… in a way, they all became your friends. There was a connection of sort, untold, very silent. But it was there nonetheless. You could see it in people’s eyes, in their looks, their demeanour, their sad face that would shyly turn into a smile at the smallest opportunity. We all needed a smile.
We were all in the same boat, all survivors at that point – and that was enough to connect people. It was like 9/11. I can see how much the pain and the incredulity about what happened on that day still unifies New Yorkers from all walks of life. So did the pandemic. People became more humble, compassionate and ready to enjoy every moment, rather than taking it all for granted. I witnessed that around me in NYC but I have the feeling it wasn’t only here, I’m sure there would be many people who could tell the same tale all over the world.
The book has done remarkably well. How would you account for its success?
Thank you Julian, really glad it was successful – and that’s definitely thanks to you and Paul’s marketing effort! On top of this, I think that’s probably also because many people could relate to my story. As said before, surely the whole world went through some kind of an unforgettable experience, but a first-hand account of what was happening in New York – the city that never sleeps, and that’s in many people’s dreams (and in some others’ nightmares) – was probably something that many readers wanted to know more about.
Away from being on camera, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I absolutely love travelling, and I would be on a plane everyday if I could. I think that every single corner of this beautiful planet we live in is a discovery – there is always something to see, to taste, to experience, to learn, and to live to the full. Everywhere. And always new people to meet. I have been lucky enough to be able to travel a lot in my life, across the five continents, and I have friends all over the world. I was born in a beautiful country, Italy, lived many years in another beautiful country, the UK, and I’m now based in another special place on earth.
Away from being on camera, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I absolutely love travelling, and I would be on a plane everyday if I could. I think that every single corner of this beautiful planet we live in is a discovery – there is always something to see, to taste, to experience, to learn, and to live to the full. Everywhere. And always new people to meet. I have been lucky enough to be able to travel a lot in my life, across the five continents, and I have friends all over the world. I was born in a beautiful country, Italy, lived many years in another beautiful country, the UK, and I’m now based in another special place on earth.
All of this is probably what made my love for travel grow even stronger. I have been to some of the most remote places on earth – from Greenland to New Zealand, from Alaska to Polynesia, from Russia to China, from Iceland to the northernmost inhabited land in the world, the Svalbard Islands. I have seen – in the wild – polar bears and grizzly bears, whales, penguins, kangaroos, bison, koalas, elephants, moose, alligators and wombats… I will never forget the beauty and majesty of the wilderness, nor the incredible fauna that populates this world. And then going back home and seeing the beautiful skyline of Manhattan, with its towering skyscrapers and their flickering lights at night, still gives me shivers.
So yes, travelling is my other passion. And when I return home, and realise how much I love the place I live in, it makes it even more special. The same happened with London when I was there – but now, after five years in New York, I’m still in awe, which makes me feel in a constant state of holiday!
What’s next for you in career and life. A return to Europe at some stage?
One day the plan is certainly to go back to Europe. We still have our house in London and that’s definitely a base, as is the family home on the sunny Mediterranean coast in Italy, but I’m open to possibly live anywhere else in Europe. There are so many wonderful spots in our continent, and I’d be happy to go where my heart – and my job – take me.
As per my career, I always let my passions and dreams drive me, and I’ll let them continue to lead me, wherever that may be. The most important thing is to stay motivated and keep the enthusiasm and the excitement alive in whatever I do next. Oh, and Julian – you and I still have to write that four-hand book as discussed a couple of years back! That’s one more thing that I’ll be happy to get into sometime.
And we always like to end on advice you’d give to those aspiring journalist out there who’d love to follow a career like yours? You chose an on-screen path. Harder to do than print/digital journalism.
My advice for aspiring journalists – or anyone who has a dream, whatever that is – is to never give up. I knew when I was young that I wanted to become a journalist, but I certainly didn’t have it all figured out. Hard work, drive, determination, passion, confidence, persistence, and a strong self-belief are crucial to achieve anything in life. And when an opportunity arises, catch it. Don’t let opportunities pass you by, however challenging, scary, or out-of-your league they may seem. There is always a lucky chance at every corner, and there is always a fresh start if you want to change your path: keep on challenging yourself, and never stop growing. And as I always said to myself – never give up, because ‘Life is what you make it’. This saying became my motto a long time ago – and after all these years, thankfully, it still rings true.
Angela, we’re so grateful for being the latest subject of our Meet our Authors series…we wish you well with your coaching, your travels, and yes, we need to get our co-authored book underway!
A Year of Pandemic in New York: The Fall and Rise of the Big Apple is available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yn2fe29m
Cover design: Dean Stockton https://tinyurl.com/y7f5xtn6