It’s easy to say Mandela or Obama but what really inspires me is everyday people. To do greatness when you’re in the public eye is easier than when you’re doing great things but nobody knows about it. I met a woman not long ago who is in her seventies and teaching older people in her village to use the internet. At that age I’d probably be putting my feet up, but she’s linking older people up to the world and getting companies to donate old computers.
Creatively... again everyone says Bob Marley, but there’s this reggae artist, Big Youth – I hesitate to say his name because not everyone has heard of him – he really inspired me. I’ve never met him, but I was really excited by the way he twists the Bible and mixes everything up. A lot of people who are spiritual tend not to think about politics much, and a lot of people who are political neglect the spiritual side of themselves. It’s almost like they think the two cancel each other out. I liked the way Big Youth grappled with them both and threw in some poetry.
