Pint of Purple: Ben Sundell

President Ben Sundell is under interrogation in this week’s column…

What book are you reading at the moment?

I’ve just started reading Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks, but have only read the first few pages so far…

Who is your favourite literary character?

A book I read not that long ago was Yes Man by Danny Wallace. The film was based on the book – but the book is so much better! Danny Wallace is my favourite character because everything he wrote in the book was real! He actually did it! He spent about 6 months living as if the word ‘no’ didn’t exist. He won $45,000, met a hypnotic dog, earned a nursing degree and flew to Singapore for a weekend. Not only is he a hilarious writer, but his book makes you really look at life in a more positive way!

What is the first book you remember reading?

Haha, I remember reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar when I was very young! Perhaps that explains why I eat so much…

What is your all-time favourite book?

I think I’d probably have to go for Animal Farm – I actually read it when I was about 10, and I appreciated it just as a novel but didn’t really understand the meaning behind it. I re-read it after I’d studied Russian History for my GCSE and then realised the allegory and was just blown away – very powerful book, with lots of food for thought.

 If you wrote an autobiography, what would be the title?

Smile!

Kindle vs. the book?

Book! The kindle is great for travelling, but I’m siding with books here, when you can’t see how far through a book you are, can’t break the spine, underline and generally just dig into a text, some of the joy seems lost for me.

How much is a pint of purple?

Well most people like to drink purple at circling so we make it cheaper at £1.50, but its £2.70 otherwise.