NEXT month's Mount Beauty Writers Festival will host eight authors from around the country to discuss their latest works.
One of these authors is self-proclaimed 'accidental ecotourist' Satyajit Das, featuring his book 'Wild Quests' which was released in May this year.
'Wild Quests' explores the effects on our natural world of humanity and the rise of ecotourism; searching for wildlife in its natural environment and the damage the commoditisation of wildlife 'experiences' have had in the name of conservation efforts.
"This book crosses several genres," Mr Das said.
"It's partly a history, memoir and current affairs record that is centred around the environment and wildlife habitat issues that are so widespread today."
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Written from the perspective of an ordinary traveller, the book journeys throughout the world to examine the decline in protected habitats for native fauna, as well as noting the concurrent impact 'ecotourism' has on the natural world.
"This book is the work of 30 years of observation," Mr Das said.
"I didn't intend to become an ecotourist; I incidentally became one, during my trips to Africa and Antarctica 30 years ago.
"Since then, I have travelled almost continually.
"I'm not interested in travelling around the world to look at cathedrals and so on, I prefer to see the natural world.
"There is currently this mindset the world is there for humanity and a central theme of the book is that we are just basically primates with smartphones.
"Historically, the only species that survives is the one that is adaptable.
"Not the strongest, because if that were true, the planet would currently be ruled by sabre-tooth tigers and dinosaurs and so on.
"As humans, we've lost that, our ability to adapt."
This will be Mr Das' first time at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival.
"I've been to other festivals in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne such as the Festival of Dangerous Ideas," Mr Das said.
When asked which book he is currently reading, Mr Das said John Richardson's four-volume biography of Picasso.
"I like detail," he said.
Satyajit Das is previously known in Australian non-fiction from his other financial works; 'Traders, Guns & Money', 'Extreme Money', 'Banquet of Consequences' and 'Fortune's Fool'.
This years' Mount Beauty Writers Festival will be held on Saturday, October 12 at Mountain Monk Brewers (1 Lakeside Avenue, Mount Beauty), from 9am to 5:30pm.
To book your tickets and for more information, visit: www.mountbeautywritersfestival.com
