Felix Dennis is one of Britain’s best-known entrepreneurs, with the 2010 Sunday Times Rich List estimating him to be the 132nd richest individual in the UK. Having made his fortune in publishing, Dennis remains the private owner of Dennis Publishing and is also an accomplished poet who has published six poetry books, toured over 50 international venues throughout the UK and the US with his “Did I Mention The Free Wine?” poetry tours and performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Dennis’ first collection of poetry, A Glass Half Full, was published in the UK in November 2002 by Hutchinson. It has since become one of the biggest selling books of original verse in England for years.

It was the superb print quality of his poetry books, in particular his fourth book, Island of Dreams: 99 poems from Mustique, that brought Butler & Tanner’s distinctive quality and production to Dennis’ attention. Following his acquisition of the printers in July 2008, Butler Tanner & Dennis have gone on to print, amongst others, his latest collection of poems, Tales From The Woods, in July 2010.

View Felix’s website for more information.

I Never Met A Book… (For Miles)

I no sooner see a book: I need it!
(Even though I'll never read it),
Books in any binding, any font;
Though it's always my ambition
To acquire a first edition,
I never met a book I didn't want!

Of my rivals in the chase: (God bless 'em!)
How I long to dispossess 'em,
Dreams of bookish burgling haunt my sleep,
though the smell of vellum lingers
On a dreaming felon's fingers,
I never dreamt a book I didn't keep!

"Would you care to borrow this?": I have it!
(Swear me out an affidavit!)
Flattery finds fools who never learn;
Those who loan 'em, losers weepers!
I disown 'em!  Finders keepers!
I never took a book I could return!

Dorsington, Warwickshire

June 7, 2001

One of my favourite anecdotes (Lord Chesterfield, Logan Pearsall Smith?) is of a father showing his son a particular part of his library while admonishing him: “Never lend books, my son.  Only fools lend books. Once, all these books belonged to fools!”