Pint of Purple: John Butler, Science & Tech Editor

What are you reading at the moment?

Image: Sandhya Dhawan

I’m reading a book by Matt Haig called Reasons to Stay Alive. It’s a really interesting account of his battle with anxiety and depression and I’d definitely recommend it to pretty much everyone. The main issue with mental health is the lack of understanding around it, and this just puts the experience of living with these conditions in plain terms.

Who is your favourite literary character?

Anthony Horowitz wrote a series of books called The Power of Five that I was really into from the age of about ten. The main character in it is a kid called Matt Freeman, who turns his life around to lead the five gatekeepers against an ancient evil. It’s a pretty tall story, but Matt was one of the first characters that I came across who wasn’t simply some perfect hero – he was human and made mistakes, just like the rest of us.

What is the first book you remember?

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The first books I remember reading were things like Horrible Histories, The Chronicles of Narnia and Thomas the Tank Engine. I think the first book I bought for myself was called Max Remy: Superspy, which is pretty indicative of my childhood love of the ‘generic kid vs world’ book!

What is your all-time favourite book?

Although it’s pretty short, I’d have to say George Orwell’s Animal Farm. It’s such an interesting read, and it strikes me that sometimes it’s necessary to remove humans from the equation when you’re trying to get people to understand human behaviour.

Kindle vs Books?

I do have a Kindle, but I find that I always prefer reading real books – there’s something about reading a story on paper that screens just can’t match.

How much is a pint of purple?

I think it’s £1.50 in Copper Rooms, but I’m usually too preoccupied with circle to ask the price!