PLEASE NOTE: As Tom is based in Spain, he has asked that the subtitles are in Spanish rather than English! Happy to do so. :)

About the Author

Tom Alan was born in London to Irish parents, one from the north, the other from the south. He clearly caught his parents’ wanderlust; as a primary-school teacher he has taught in the UK, Kuwait, Japan and (currently) Spain. When a headteacher (in his wisdom) decreed that male teachers had to wear ties, Tom purchased a variety of ‘comedy’ ties so that the 7-year-olds in his class wouldn’t mistake him for a bank manager. The tie in the picture features London buses, a favourite of the children who were delighted (and scandalised) to hear that ‘in the olden days’ you could jump on and off at will, sometimes ‘accidentally’ saving the fare to spend on sweets.

Using the pseudonym Jeremy Dean, he has written columns for the Times Educational Supplement, Teach Primary magazine and Babel: the Language Magazine. He writes about linguistics and teaching English to foreign students. He has written a ‘fictionalised’ memoir of his experiences teaching Spanish junior children, in English, in Spain: Zen Kyu Maestro: An English Teacher’s Spanish Adventure was published as an eBook by Monday Books in 2013. He currently writes a monthly column on expat life and the quirks of the English language for Poble, Vila-real’s town magazine.

Tom Alan is his pen name for fiction writing. His first novel (Hitting the Jackpot, Bloodhound Books, 4th May 2023) is the story of Cindy and Jack, a pair of millennial, gig-economy workers who are in the middle of divorcing. So, when Jack wins the lottery - should he tell her? It's a feel-good, summer romcom about a whole lotta love, an obscene amount of money; and way too many secrets - perfect for your sunlounger beside the pool.

His second book, The Last App (Bloodhound Books, April 2024), is a family drama about an app that predicts when you will die, and the effect that it has on the people who consult it. Since publication, a number of such 'death-date predictor' apps have appeared on the market. 

Tom plays tennis and squash, and enjoys photographing weird and wonderful Spanish fiestas – especially those involving fireworks. He can cook a decent paella.

Since 2006 he and his wife, Jill, have lived in a small town just north of Valencia. They are both season-ticket holders at Villarreal Club de Fútbol and enjoy walking in the mountains of Castellón. They are both keen (although not always competent) students of the Spanish language: Tom once asked a waitress for two kisses when he meant two glasses, and Jill is famous in the local ice-cream shop for requesting two cockroaches instead of two cornets.

He blogs photographs and anecdotes from Spanish life inside and outside the classroom at zenkyumaestro... Teacher in Spain and he’s on Twitter @JeremyJoseDean and as Tom Alan @TomA14n

Tom's website is https://tomalanauthor.wixsite.com/tom-alan and Amazon page is https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B0C24X13B4/allbooks.

Lesson Summary

The conversation between Tom Alan, a primary school teacher and writer, and Morgen revolves around his experiences living in Spain since 2006, particularly his fondness for Valencia, teaching background, writing process, and upcoming books:

• Tom Alan, also known as Jeremy Dean, has a writing history including columns on linguistics and teaching English alongside a fictionalised memoir.
• He focuses on humour-filled stories and is currently writing a follow-up to his book 'Hitting the Jackpot', although with new characters and plot.
• Tom shares insights into his writing process, preferences, and humorous anecdotes from his teaching career.
• His writing journey began with writing letters to magazines, evolving into book writing.
• Tom discusses his editing process with editors (Morgen was his editor for HTJ!) and mentions a lack of pressure or routines in his writing process.
• He prefers writing based on personal experience over extensive research, drawing examples from his time near Valencia.

The speaker highlights the impact of editing on writing and reading habits, noting changes in speech and attention to detail post-editing:

• The conversation delves into Tom's writing under a pseudonym for fiction and his column on expat life and the English language.
• His novel, 'Hitting the Jackpot', a romantic comedy about a couple facing divorce when one wins the lottery, was published in May 2023. His second, 'The Last App', a psychological drama was published in April 2024.
• Tom and his wife have resided in a small town near Valencia since 2006 and are avid supporters of Villarreal Club de Fútbol.
• His hobbies include playing tennis and squash, capturing Spanish fiestas through photography, and cooking paella.
• The couple is learning Spanish, experiencing some comical language blunders along the way.
• Tom shares Spanish life anecdotes on his blog and social media platforms.