Books of My Life

In the sixth and final episode of Books of My Life season two, host Hareth Al Bustani interviews English actor, comedian and author Ben Miller. Having found success with the BAFTA-winning Armstrong and Miller sketch show, he has gone on to feature in countless films and TV shows, including Johnny English, Paddington 2 and Bridgerton. He's also written a string of bestselling children’s books, incl...

In the fifth episode of Books of My Life season two, host Hareth Al Bustani interviews Kuwaiti-Palestinian author and academic Shahd Alshammari. Alshammari has a profound relationship with literature – she credits it with saving her life. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at a young age, she has overcome great physical and mental obstacles to become a beacon of inspiration, strength and hope throu...

In the fourth episode of Books of My Life season two, host Hareth Al Bustani interviews British writer and explorer Benedict Allen. The real-life Indiana Jones, Allen has nearly died nine times, adventuring everywhere from the Amazon to the Arctic. Keen to minimise his impact on local communities and surroundings, he never takes any GPS equipment and builds local expeditions from the ground wherev...

In the third episode of Books of My Life season two, host Hareth Al Bustani interviews Indian historian, journalist and author Shrabani Basu. The truly great history writer walks a fine line between dramatisation and documentation – a balance Basu has mastered admirably. Basu famously wrote Victoria and Abdul, a historical novel later adapted into a feature film. Somewhat of a sleuth herself, she...

In the second episode of Books of My Life season two, host Hareth Al Bustani interviews chef, TV personality and writer Bobby Chinn. Born to Egyptian and Chinese parents in New Zealand, and raised in Egypt and the UK, Chinn worked on Wall Street before deciding to become a chef. Chinn launched his culinary career in San Francisco before opening a restaurant in Vietnam to global acclaim. Since then...

In the first episode of Books of My Life season two, host Hareth Al Bustani interviews best-selling British author Jeffrey Archer. Starting with the blockbuster hit Kane and Abel in 1979, Archer has gone on to sell more than 275 million books. But there’s a lot more to him than that. Once a member of parliament, he rose to the heights of deputy chairman of the Conservatives and was the party's Lon...

Storytelling is a crucial pillar of our lives. In many ways, the human experience is defined as a series of stories. For millions, the most memorable and evocative tales live in the hallowed pages of books, for there is no medium more powerful than the human imagination. Books have a remarkable power to draw us in, to connect us with one another, to educate and entertain; they take us on journeys...

Alexander McCall Smith, known as Sandy to his friends, writes around 3000 words a day, many days before 7am. Host Rupert Hawksley met up with the author and found out Sandy’s earliest reading memories, his gravest social embarrassment and the book that made him cry.  Be part of the conversation by sending us the books that affected you the most on booksofmylife@thenational.ae   https://www.thenati...

When Arianna Huffington left Greece for Cambridge she could barely speak English but still made it to become the head of the debate society during her time there. She co-founded the Huffington Post in 2005 and served as editor in Chief till 2016. Host Rupert Hawksley spoke to the woman who has authored 15 books but told the first publisher who approached her, “I can’t write”. Be part of the conver...

Ian Rankin didn’t think he was writing a crime novel when he sat down and started writing the first Rebus novel. Host Rupert Hawksley speaks to the acclaimed writer about what he thinks of having sold more than 30 million novels and which very famous crime writer Rankin has surprisingly never read. Be part of the conversation by sending us the books that affected you the most on booksofmylife@then...

Mary Beard is Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge and a prominent household name in the UK having written numerous books and made many documentaries about Ancient Rome. Host Rupert Hawksley spoke to the British National Treasure about her early obsession with a frightening tale, the changing meaning of Jane Eyre and her allegiance to Germaine Greer.  Be part of the conversation by...

Sir Bryn Terfel started singing at a very young age growing up on a farm in Wales. Host Rupert Hawksley found the renowned bass-baritone singer very entertaining but also found keeping him on the topic of books a little challenging. He did manage to pin down a few of his favourite reads including his early fascination with The Mabinogion, the Welsh stories dating back to the 12th century.  Be part...

Irvine Welsh’s book Trainspotting is largely considered one of the best pieces of literature of the 20th century but according to Welsh it only came about due to a string of failures in his musical career. Host Rupert Hawksley speaks to the Scottish author about his vast reading history and which books gave him hope when he was struggling in the depths of addiction. Be part of the conversation by...

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