Felix Dennis "I have always been exorbitantly fond of trees and, having just planted the thousandth acre of The Forest of Dennis in Warwickshire, I also wanted to do something for the trees in The Royal Parks. Life in London would be intolerable without them and they need every bit of help that we can give."

Felix Dennis is one of Britain's best known entrepreneurs. He was born in Kingston-upon-Thames in 1947.

After leaving Harrow College of Art, Dennis wasted a great deal of his youth playing in R&B bands. In 1971 he was imprisoned by the British government as a co-editor of OZ magazine.

Following his acquittal by the High Court of Appeal, Dennis went on to found his own magazine publishing company in 1973. Today, Dennis Publishing remains a privately owned company with headquarters in both London and New York City. Titles include The Week, Auto Express, Stuff, Computer Shopper, Blender and Evo. Dennis Publishing is also the owner of Maxim, the world's biggest selling men's lifestyle magazine.

Following a life-threatening illness, Dennis's first collection of poetry, A Glass Half Full, was published in November 2002 by Hutchinson. It has since become one of the biggest selling books of original verse in England for years.

Felix Dennis's other interests include planting trees, commissioning bronze sculpture, drinking French wine and avoiding business meetings. He claims to spend three or four hours a day writing poetry, dividing his time between homes in Warwickshire, London, New York, Connecticut and the Caribbean island of Mustique.