If there is an author of spy stories who might be thought to be actively involved 'in the game' it would be Owen Sela, for he shies away from any kind of publicity. But any such deduction would be wrong. Sela's desire for anonymity is just that. He is not a spy.
He was born in Ceylon and his family wanted him to become an accountant. He came to Britain to study Chartered Accountancy, qualified and went into practice as an accountant.
But Accountancy was a second choice for Sela . He had always wanted to be a writer. And then on a plane journey to Australia he thought of the story of The Bearer Plot, a thriller which packed and enormous amount of action into a few days in the life of Nick Maasten.
It was with The Kiriov Tapes that Sela arrived as a recognized writer of spy fiction. Sela was praised for his brilliant research which caused Miles Copeland, a former CIA agent to comment, "Spooks like his books. They capture the mood of spooks sardonic sense of humour."
In parallel with his writing, Sela ran an extensive tax practice for: Writers, Literary Agents, Publishers, Photographers, Designers, Actors and Actresses, Musicians and Film companies.
An avid sportsman, Sela has run 14 marathons, rallied extensively, skis, swims, and is mad on tennis.
Sela now lives in Canada with his wife, Dr. Smita Sengupta where he continues to write and runs an investment consultancy.