What are you most looking forward to at the 2016 Festival? Experiencing Dubai with my wife, Kathryn, and connecting with the huge variety of people who will be there. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was 10 years old; but my path led me otherwise. Writing is still not my day job; but writing about my day job has provided great pleasure and success. What book do you find yourself re-reading most often? I don’t re-read books. There are enough new ideas in new books to keep me engaged. If you weren’t a writer, what would you be? I’m a writer, but only as a way to communicate what I do as an educator. I can’t stop either one. And finally, we have a number of aspiring writers attending the Festival. What one piece of advice would you give them? Sit butt in chair. Boot computer. Hit key.