Tommy Kennedy IV NIGHTMARE IN JAMAICA I smuggled drugs— how I survived when paradise turned deadly.

“I deleted Facebook and Instagram to focus on what really matters — writing, university, and my next book. Follow my blog for fresh stories every few days, straight from my blog ".

Warrington-born writer who built walls, broke laws, and now writes the truth — three books in the British Library.

Tommy Kennedy IV
Author, Traveller, Survivor

Born in Warrington. Lives in London.
I’ve lived a dozen lives in one—hustler, bricklayer, music promoter, traveller, outlaw, storyteller, author. Every chapter of my life feeds the stories I write.

A Life on the Move
For fifteen years, I roamed the world—Europe, India, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines, South Africa, Canada, America - Mexico, South America, Middle East learning lessons the hard way. From brushes with the law to nights reflecting on karma, I’ve faced the consequences of choices up close. Twenty-four years on, I’ve turned that experience into stories that resonate.

Grit in Every Page
I write in a gritty noir style. My characters fight, bleed, love, and stumble through worlds that are raw and unpolished. Themes of resilience, working-class pride, and humour in hardship run through every story.

Hands-On Life
Before writing, I built life with my own hands—brick by brick. That grit informs every setting, every character, every page.

Recognised and Preserved
My books are in the British Library, part of the nation’s literary record—a testament to stories worth telling. I never thought this would be possible when I was laying bricks on the British Library all those years ago .

From Notting Hill to Jamaica
I capture worlds that refuse to stay quiet. Nightmare in Jamaica is just the beginning. Every book I write is a window into lives lived hard, truths that won’t be sugarcoated, and the humour and heart that persist even in darkness.

Discover my journey, my stories, and my world:
NIGHTMARE IN JAMAICA
Smuggling. Survival. Redemption.
The true story of how paradise turned to hell — and how one man fought his way back from the edge.
Raw, fast, unforgettable.

Notting Hill Ponces: JustTommy
London comeback — gigs, chaos, and characters you couldn’t invent.
Loud, funny, and alive with the pulse of the city.

The Bums Rush Series
Short, sharp stories from Britain’s backstreets.
Fast, brutal, and real — life in bursts, no filter.

Read the books. Live the story.
Pain, graft, mistakes, mercy — all real.

📚 Three of Tommy’s books are now archived in the British Library.
✉️ Contact Tommy for interviews, events, and collaborations.

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I nearly lost everything in Jamaica — smuggling drugs, running from danger, and facing the consequences of my choices. Nightmare in Jamaica is my memoir, the story of survival when paradise turns violent and life teaches lessons no classroom could. I write about chaos, risk, and the moments that change you forever. These are true stories of survival, grit, and what it takes to come back alive.

Promoted bars, raves, and bands for decades

Experienced prison, bankruptcy, homelessness

Studying Creative Writing at Birkbeck University and Chelsea Theatre

Tommy Kennedy IV doesn’t just write stories—he lives them, bleeds them, and throws them on the page raw.


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