Samuel Harry Noble

At time of publication, Sam is 43 years old. Up until the age of 42 he would freely admit that he’d lived a charmed life. He had a happy and secure childhood. With the support and sacrifice of two wonderful parents, he was able to enjoy all the benefits of a privileged education and to go on to secure a top BA Hons degree in History with English at Nottingham University.

In the world of work he has co-founded and built a successful, international advertising agency network with a group of friends who have stayed together for nearly 20 years in the process. He has had lots of opportunity to travel the world extensively and to indulge his passions for rugby, skiing, surfing, running, the theatre and books. He’s made many wonderful friends along the way and best of all he’s been married to Kate for nearly 12 years, raising their two precious children together, first in London and then in their family home in Buckinghamshire.

18 months ago and only 2 years on from having completed the infamous Marathon Des Sables ultra marathon across the Sahara Desert, Sam was diagnosed with stage 4 Bowel Cancer that had spread to his peritoneum. The diagnosis, prognosis and treatment have all been massive challenges to deal with for him and his family, of course. This anthology of eighteen reflective, but uplifting poems is his attempt to show how, despite the dark times, he has come to appreciate quite how charmed his life remains.