I was recently inspired to start reading the words of Ernest Hemingway after enjoying a wonderful article about La Belle Epoque of 1920’s Paris in the excellent quarterly Jocks & Nerds. This was an era when the cream of world’s finest young authors, artists & creatives all headed to the French capital.

Thirty years, many drinks and air-miles later, Hemingway wrote The Old Man & The Sea, which is often cited as one of his greatest books. The short story went onto win the Pulitzer Prize & was also cited as being instrumental in his success in winning the 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature. It’s a tale from Cuba, involving just a couple of characters – the old man, Santiago & his young friend, Manolin. Most of the tale is also set within the old man’s boat – as Santiago once more attempts to catch a fish after 84 days of failure – reminding me very much of another great but more recent maritime story, Life of Pi.

There is much beauty in the thoughts & feelings of the old man as he trawls the waters off Havana & encounters the biggest challenge of his life – I loved every minute of it.