International best-selling author, Dan Brown, attracted a large audience of 180 to DaVida Restaurant on Saturday April 1. The event, “An Evening with Dan Brown”, was organised by the Anguilla Literary Foundation to raise funds for the Literary Festival that takes place in May.
Following a half hour of cocktails and socialising, Dan Brown made his presentation to the large audience. He spo ke of his life as a child and how he started writing at the age of five years. He grew up with a religious mother and a father who favoured science, and Brown recalled that science and religion coexisted peacefully and gave him a taste of both worlds. He learnt that the foundation of science rested on proofs, claims, equations and codes, while religion relied on faith. He also spoke about the adaption of his novels into movies starring Tom Hanks.
His career was teaching which he continued until 1996 after the publication of his first thrilled-based novel, “Digital Fortress.” But it was his fourth novel, “The Da Vinci Code”, that really started his success story and has now sold over 81 million copies. His other well-known novels are “Angels and Demons” and “Inferno,” and in October there will be a new one called “Origin.”
After keeping the large audience enthralled for about half an hour, with various tales from his life, Brown answered several questions from the audience. His advice to those wanting to write is to just write whatever you feel and be prepared to re-write and re-write, dozens of times if necessary. He also spoke of his love for Anguilla and its people.
Following the presentation, Brown chatted with the guests and signed books that they had brought. The MC for the evening was Dan Weiss, an international publisher and resident of Anguilla, who outlined some of the achievements of the Lit Festival that has inspired some one thousand Anguillian writers and their teachers.
Carla Harris, from the Literary Foundation, announced that the 6th Anguilla Literary Festival – “A Literary Jollification” – will be held at Paradise Cove Resort from May 18-21, and encouraged all to attend as it appeals to readers, writers and thinkers and includes lively panel discussions, author work shops and “jollification.”
Mr. Brown stated: “In the name of dialogue and sharing ideas, I want to acknowledge that tonight, what has brought us together in this space is quite simply… Books — those magical artifacts that share ideas across borders, across cultures, across languages, and most importantly, across time. For all of you in the audience who are passionate about books and excited about hearing new ideas and new voices, I encourage you with all my heart to support, to attend, and to treasure one of this island’s most important annual cultural events — The Anguilla Literary Festival.”
