Trapped underwater in agonising pain, shackled and sinking and desperately trying not to give in to the urgent need to breathe, I really thought maybe I had pushed myself too far this time. The scar was still fresh from my most recent near miss, when a razor-sharp knife had carved into my chin in a stunt gone wrong. But at least I’d lived through that one. The situation I was in now was exactly the kind where one small problem starts a chain reaction that ends in serious injury or even worse. And it was all of my own making. Scrabbling for the chains, I knew I had only seconds before water started to fill my lungs…
Cosentino is Australia’s premier illusionist and escapologist – a magician to his fingertips, a man who constantly challenges our notions of what is possible.
The LA Times has said of him that ‘Cosentino mirrors the legendary Harry Houdini’ – and like Houdini, he is a true pioneer and trailblazer.
Cosentino was the first Australian magician to have his own primetime TV shows and these TV spectaculars have now been broadcast in more than 40 countries. Recognised by his peers as the ‘International Magician of the Year’, he has become one of Australia’s most popular live performers and continues to stage his award-winning live show to full houses across the globe.
But Cosentino’s greatest trick of all? Well, that’s something completely different. It was learning how to read.
He was a 12-year-old boy with learning difficulties, teased and isolated, who struggled with reading and schoolwork. But one day, in a library, he found an illustrated book about magic – and that unlocked something in him. That magic book not only inspired him to learn to read, it propelled him on an extraordinary journey – from a shy boy with low self-esteem to the international star that he is today.
His memoir Anything is Possible is an uplifting and wholly compelling story for anyone who ever dreamed of achieving the impossible.
At Byron Writers Festival Cosentino will be taking part in the session Overcoming Adversity with former Sudanese child soldier Deng Adut and human-rights lawyer Graeme Innes (Friday August 4) and Reach for the Stars: Literacy in Children with Tristan Bancks and Sally Rippin (Friday August 4).
• For more on Byron Writers Festival visit byronwritersfestival.com
More Byron Writers Festival 2017 articles:
Tex Talks
Tex is a funny prick. In an industry full of people who take themselves SO seriously, Perkins is a breath of fresh air.
The life and times of Jimmy Barnes
Interview with Mandy Nolan “I didn’t write the story hoping for forgiveness. I wrote it hoping for life.” Prolific songwriter and performer, Jimmy Barnes has been a storyteller for more than 40 years, sharing his life and passions with Australians of...
Book Reviews by Byron Bay Public School Students
Grace Author: Morris Gleitzman Reviewed by: Billie Aitken-McGregor Class: Age 11 Byron Bay Public School “We were a happy family. We were bountiful. But it came to pass that I started doing sins. And that’s when all our problems began.” Imagine having your father taken...
The Reef, trees and stars at Writers Festival
This year’s Byron Writers Festival hosts a range of conversations for those interested in delving into the environment, astronomy and science, led by some of the world’s leading scientific minds. From discoveries made below the waterline, to those made...
Terrorism, politics and betrayals collide in debut novel from Tony Jones
Tony Jones was still at school when Lionel Murphy raided ASIO. After an ABC cadetship, he joined Four Corners as a reporter in 1985, and later Dateline at SBS in 1986. He subsequently was an ABC foreign correspondent, for...
Robert Drewe releases new novel, Whipbird
Bangalow local Robert Drewe is an Australian literary legend whose more than 20 highly acclaimed books, including novels, short stories and memoirs have won state, national and international prizes, been widely translated, and been adapted for film, television, theatre...
Time for Rock’n’Roll at Byron Writers Festival
Byron Writers Festival will feature stars of the Australian music industry who not only can hold a tune but also can hold a pen, and have written or co-written revealing memoirs, and a novel. Read on for more about...
Cosentino’s greatest trick may not be what you think
Trapped underwater in agonising pain, shackled and sinking and desperately trying not to give in to the urgent need to breathe, I really thought maybe I had pushed myself too far this time. The scar was still fresh from...
There’s a kids’ big day out at Byron Writers Festival
Byron Writers Festival has pulled out all stops to create a day full of fun, inspiration and creativity to ignite the imaginations of children. Seven acclaimed children’s authors will face their toughest and most vocal audience at the Greenstone...
A beginner’s guide to the Byron Writers Festival
Never been to Byron Writers Festival? We ask Byron resident and festival-lover Emily Brugman, 27, her top tips for the first-time festival-goer. Tell us a bit about the festival. The Byron Writers Festival is a three-day event that brings writers and...
