Forest and Felix Dennis

Number six on the Birmingham Post Rich List (published yesterday) is our old friend Felix Dennis. Estimated to be worth £750m, thanks to his transatlantic publishing empire, Dennis first came to public attention in 1971 as one of three defendants in the infamous Oz obscenity trials.

I interviewed Felix some years ago and we correspond, occasionally, even now. A couple of years ago he sent a long message of support in which he stated: "Forest is fighting for the rights not only for smokers, but of non-smokers, too, when it challenges petty-minded bureaucrats, arrogant ministers and hoardes of unelected 'specialists'."

In 2002 Forest honoured him with our top award. He was in America and unable to attend the relevant event, but took it seriously enough to send the editor of Maxim - Dennis Publishing's flagship title - to receive it in his absence, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the Post:

Dennis Publishing - which owns more than 50 titles - was named in the Sunday Times as one of the top 100 best companies to work for the UK, something which will have given the people-centred Felix Dennis much pleasure. Almost as much as the coveted title of "Smokers’ Rights Champion of the Year", an accolade the chain-smoking publisher picked up from smokers’ pressure group Forest.

As well as poetry, Felix's other interests are said to include cars, sculpture, drinking fine French wine and planting trees. When he dies he hopes to leave behind the largest forest in England. It is dubbed (rather appropriately) the "Forest of Dennis".