Plymouth International Book Festival 2014
Author Questionnaire
Caspar Henderson
Q. What was the first book that you would say really struck a chord with you, and why?
A. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling because my father brought it alive when reading it aloud
Q. Was there someone, or something, who inspired you to first get into writing?
A. No single person or thing did, but Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, which I first read when I was fourteen or fifteen made a massive impression on me
Q. What role do you believe books and literature have to play in an age where so much of our time is dominated by technology?
A. Story-telling will not die as long as there are people. Books and literature in general make possible forms of story-telling that are unique. I don’t think their demise is imminent.
Q. What can people expect at your talk/event at the Plymouth International Book Festival?
A. a wide ranging discussion on nature and human imagination with at least one remarkable author (I am fortunate to be joining Miriam Darlington in conversation!)
Q. Do you look forward to talking to people about your work, and what is the one message you hope the audience will take away with them?
A. Yes, because books should always be part of a conversation. A message: life is for celebration, even in the midst of waste, destruction and folly.
Q. What is the best piece of advice you could give to someone who thinks they have a story to tell but is unsure of how to go about it?
A. Talk if through with a friend or someone you like/ and trust. Just try writing it down and share it with your friend.
Q. If you were to recommend one book that people should read this year, what would it be and why?
A. I ‘d prefer to recommend about five! But if it has to be one then Don’t Even Think About It by George Marshall: one of the most insightful and useful books in recent years on a paramount issue of our times : climate change.