The magic community has been struck by many losses of some magical legends of late. One such loss that I’ve struggled to comprehend recently, is the sudden passing of our dear friend in magic, Anthony Owen.
Anthony and I first met at the Reading Junior Day back in its hey day, with Dominic Wood treading the boards, years before his win as young magician of the year. This event was a wonderful opportunity for young aspiring magicians to gather and display their skills in magic. I recall Anthony being a fun mischievous character on stage, with a glint in his eye. I instantly became a big fan of his, with his demo of his early version of Holey Sh*t! As a young, shy introvert myself, the Reading Junior Day offered us a means to interact and share our passion in magic. I have many fond memories of fellow young magicians performing on stage, with Ali Bongo in the wings.
Years passed by, between bumping into each other at conventions. I recall the Top Secret Magic Days with Terry Seabrooke and Tommy Wonder in Milton Keynes, where Anthony lived at the time, and where I now teach. Having returned from my teaching sabbatical in Thailand, Anthony and I struck up conversation via social media. I had always followed his career with enthusiasm, supporting his engaging talks with the Conjuror Community and Penguin Live. As always, he was forthcoming with his vast knowledge in magic, earning him my moniker, the ‘Google of magic’, which he heartily agreed with. He was always honest and straight to the point in our chats in magic. We had discussed him visiting my college to talk about his TV producing career, whilst we often discussed the current trends in TV magic, scripting and of course, magic books. It was exciting to hear when he announced he would be publishing his collection of works, compiling the last two decades of his work with Vanishing Inc, in his splendid book of ‘Secrets’.
Anthony was always encouraging in my passion for magic and agreed to second me for joining the Magic Circle. We had many mutual friends in magic, and I was looking forward to finally catch up with him at his talk upon his life in magic, this June at his local school. Anthony was also recently on the judging panel at the young magician of the year, with friends this month at the Magic Circle. After receiving notification that his speaking event had been cancelled, I discovered the heartbreaking news.
Anthony will be sorely missed, but he has left a lasting legacy in magic that will continue to live on in our memory and our hearts. His magical presence will remain, as he opened so many opportunities for others to continue their path in sustaining that passion that we all share in Magic.
