Book Briefs

In this new ‘book briefs’ series, the people supporting the LitFest tell us about their reading habits.

In the first of this series,Simon H. D. McDonald, Chairman &Founder, SIAN Events and Wicked tents, speaks to the LitFest.

Q: What book are you reading right now?
A: The Leopard, by Jo Nesbo

Q: What’s the best book you’ve ever read?
A: Life on Earth, by Sir David Attenborough

Q: Which author or writer has most influenced your life?
A: Sir David Attenborough

Q: If you were stranded on a desert island, which book would you most like to find buried in the sand?
A: Stop the World, a biography of Anthony Newley, by Garth Bardsley. It is a book that best describes the problems of life as a person. Both Sir David Attenborough is - and Anthony Newley was - a genius. Sir David’s Genius allows him to live an amazing life, full of love for life itself and to follow his many interests with incredible zest and enthusiasm. Anthony Newley on the other hand never really enjoyed his amazing genius/talent, or his life. Apart from short interludes of happiness he was a sad man. The book however, is one of the few I can read over and over again and learn something.

Q: Who are you most looking forward to seeing at the 2012 Emirates LitFest?
A: Sir Terry Wogan, an amazing man, with possibly the most engaging personality of all Media stars of my lifetime.