"Read stories that fire the imagination"

In a digital age when we have our noses stuck in social media, TV shows and movies all the time, there's still nothing like sitting down quietly with a good book.

What book(s) are you reading right now?
I've just finished reading SteelHeart by Brandon Sanderson, who I was lucky enough to meet and interview at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai. It's the first book in his Reckoners series and I couldn't put it down. Brandon is one of those authors, who creates brilliant fantasy worlds and characters that can keep you engrossed and fire your imagination.
What are the books that changed your life and shaped your outlook?
I wouldn't say there have been any life-changing books, but I've enjoyed reading autobiographies of certain people like Richard Branson and Sir David Attenborough - people who are inspiring and have worked hard to really achieve something... People who I look up to and whose lives I find fascinating.
I used to adore the Enid Blyton books, especially the Malory Towers series and The Secret Seven. I think they probably helped to shape the kind of person that I wanted to be.
I also used to read absolutely anything to do with horses: fictional stories about them, or informative books.
Which titles or authors can you pick up and read at any time?
I really enjoy books by Ben Elton. Very often, his novels are a fine line between real life and fiction - is he talking from personal experience? Documenting real events and people? Plus, he always gives me a good giggle.
I also love classic writers like Jules Verne, as it's always a pleasure to go back and revisit tales such as Journey to the Center of the Earth or Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea - but finding a good translation from the original French can be challenging.
What books would you love to pass on to your children or any young person to read and treasure?
I think some of the classics are essential reading for children of any generation, such as the Jules Verne books, George Orwell's Animal Farm (which was always a favourite of mine), JRR Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy, Enid Blyton books, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting, and any and all books by Roald Dahl. These are all stories that I adored as a child and I think any child today would love them just as much.
Any other book-related observation you may have?
Yes, in that people aren't reading enough. In a digital age when we have our noses stuck in social media, TV shows and movies all the time, there's still nothing like sitting down quietly with a good book. One that you simply can't put down and you have to carry on turning the pages until you've finished it.
Whilst many people read from a Kindle or tablet, I'm still a fan of paper books; I like to feel the pages - there's just something nice about it. Reading stories, of whatever genre takes your fancy, fires the imagination and lets your thoughts run wild. I think that's something that many people are missing out on these days. So, find a good book, and get engrossed.