ALEXANDER NORMAN | CAPTAIN DE HAVILAND’S MOTH

SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT | ALEXANDER NORMAN

✈️ Meet Alex Norman — writer, adventurer, and aviation enthusiast. Born in Bembridge, educated at Sandhurst and Oxford, and once a captain in the 17/21st Lancers, Alex went on to become an acclaimed journalist and author. He’s written widely on Tibet, including ghostwriting several bestsellers for the Dalai Lama — Freedom in Exile among them.

Flying runs deep in Alexander’s family. His grandfather, great-uncles, and great-aunt were all part of Britain’s Moth aircraft craze, and his father co-designed the iconic Britten-Norman Islander — still the UK’s most successful post-war aircraft.

Alex’s latest book, Captain de Havilland’s Moth, dives into the golden age of British aviation, when Geoffrey de Havilland’s humble DH60 Moth opened the skies to a generation of adventurers. Princes, schoolboys, typists, and daredevils alike took to the air, proving that you didn’t need to be a superhero to fly — just brave, and maybe a little bit mad.

Alex often returns to the Isle of Wight, where family and friends still connect him to the skies and stories of his youth.

You may also like the following events from Isle of Wight Literary Festival:

• This October, 9th October, 12:00 am, CATH KIDSTON | A PLACE CALLED HOME in Cowes
• This October, 9th October, 12:00 am, JOHN SUCHET | IN SEARCH OF BEETHOVEN in Cowes
• This October, 9th October, 12:00 am, HELEN LEDERER | NOT THAT I’M BITTER in Cowes

Also check out other Arts events in Cowes, Literary Art events in Cowes.