WHAT BOOK would entertainment publicist and author Nick Pourgourides take to a desert island?

. . . are you reading now?

I Need Another Take, Darling, by Alvin Rakoff, the twice Emmy award-winning director who has worked with multiple screen legends over the years.

Filled with fabulous anecdotes of life on set with stars such as Laurence Olivier, Peter Sellers, Sean Connery and Kenneth More, Alvin (who is 96) writes so vividly you’d think these experiences happened only yesterday.

I’m also reading The Sword Of Albion, by John Sugden.

It’s the second volume of his biography on the life of Nelson, whose story I was always captivated by as a small boy. I remember asking my parents to take me to see HMS Victory in Portsmouth, and being wowed at its size and splendour.

A compelling read, Sugden’s exhaustively researched tome not only covers every facet of the man and his victories, but also shows his many flaws as a human being.

Finally, there is Peggy To Her Playwrights, edited by Colin Chambers.

It is a fascinating compilation of the letters of legendary agent Margaret ‘Peggy’ Ramsay to her clients.

Peggy was one of the founders of the talent agency where I work, so it is also an excellent reminder of our company’s history.

. . . would you take to a desert island?

Shamefully, it is the book I wrote about my grandparents, What You Leave Behind, who were interned with my mother in a Japanese camp in Shanghai during World War II.

If I am going to survive on a desert island, what better reminder of fortitude is there to have by my side when I’m feeling low?

. . . first gave you the reading bug?

The Enchanted Wood, by Enid Blyton. My education at Chase Side Primary was something I will always cherish, and this was the book that my marvellous teacher, Mrs Hart, encouraged me to read.

It was the adventures of Moon-Face, Silky the pixie and Saucepan Man that was the first book to capture my imagination as a small boy.

I am currently writing my second family memoir, which starts at this point in my life. The over-arching theme is about personal identity and coming to terms with your place in the world. It also touches on the story of my father, a first-generation immigrant to this country from Cyprus.

. . . left you cold?

I could never get my head around J. R. R. Tolkien, specifically The Hobbit. No matter how hard I tried, it totally eluded me growing up!

What You Leave Behind, by Nick Pourgourides, is published by Amazon at £4.99. All proceeds from the sale of the book are being donated to Variety, the Children’s Charity; variety.org.uk