CELIA WIGG Norfolk Mastermind finalist Hadrian Jeffs is one of the co-authors of Britain's current best seller Why Penguin's Feet Don't Freeze. The book - a compilation from New Scientist magazine of answers readers have provided to queries raised in 'The Last Word' section - is selling at the rate of 80,000 copies a week which makes it the top non-fiction work.
CELIA WIGG
Norfolk Mastermind finalist Hadrian Jeffs is one of the co-authors of Britain's current best seller Why Penguin's Feet Don't Freeze.
The book - a compilation from New Scientist magazine of answers readers have provided to queries raised in 'The Last Word' section - is selling at the rate of 80,000 copies a week which makes it the top non-fiction work.
Mr Jeffs is passionate about penguins, his specialist subject in the high scoring Mastermind 2005 final when he came fifth with 25 points, and is a regular contributor to the EDP and the New Scientist.
“My contribution to the book is on pages 73-74 and is - surprise surprise - about penguins. I'm afraid I didn't write the title article, but answered a question asking about what would happen if polar bears and penguins swopped habitats. This basically means transplanting polar bears to the South Pole and penguins to the arctic,” said Mr Jeffs.
“My letter explained what actually did happen to penguins, because some Norwegians actually tried this in the 1930s. It was a disaster, with the last surviving penguin in Norway being reported in the early 1950s.”
One of the hapless birds, a king penguin, was quickly dispatched by a local woman who thought it was a demon, and a macaroni penguin died on a fisherman's line in 1944, having apparently thrived during six years in alien waters.
He added: “I know I am one of 111 co-authors, and I've only got two pages. But at least I can say I've outsold Michael Palin, Jeremy Clarkson, and my fellow old boy at City College (Norwich), Stephen Fry, even if I only got £25 for my trouble. Why Penguins Feet Don't Freeze is currently selling 80,000 copies a week which is remarkable.”
The book retails at £7.99 and is available from W H Smith, Waterstones, and other local stores.
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