Arts and music festivals can be terrible for the environment, from the waste they create to the energy required to host them. But some events are doing all they can to promote a positive message and reduce their impact.

In his second memoir, Forty Nights, ex-marine Chris Thrall describes with wit and warmth his attempts, with varying degrees of success, to face his demons back home in Britain.

Philippine brand Jollibee has grown from two outlets to more than 1,300 restaurants at home and overseas. The chain adapts its menus for different cultures, but its Chickenjoy fried chicken is a favourite everywhere.

Antonio Lai discovered anything was possible when he watched the 1985 time-travelling sci-fi flick as a child.

Takahashi Mizuki is co-director of the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile, the arts centre at The Mills, a Hong Kong conservation project

Despite being released before the chef was born, George Lam’s soundtrack to 1980 film Disco Bumpkins proved influential for Cheng.

Ulan Bator is the hub of Mongolia’s vibrant hip hop scene and Mrs M is leading the charge. Her first single in English comes out this month and she is starting to tour overseas.

James Tamang, a co-owner of The Old Man and The Sea bars in Hong Kong, says he felt a connection with the American novelist’s most famous book.

Psychoanalyst Clarissa Pinkola Estés’ book Women Who Run With the Wolves, which uses folklore and myths to showcase a liberating archetype of femininity, has helped fashion blogger Ko in her calling to become the woman she was meant to be.

Published in 1935, Lin Yutang’s My Country and My People is still relevant today, says Hungarian Tony Verb, and provides great insight into China.

From Thundercat to Bonobo, the third Hong Kong edition of the Sónar festival will feature 35 musical acts that run the gamut from the radio-friendly to the mind-bendingly experimental.

Eryue He’s historical novel ‘flipped’ Andy Hei’s understanding of Qing dynasty China

The late British singer showed Jeanine Hsu, who started Hong Kong-based sustainable jewellery brand Niin 2009, that women could be equal

Myriam Bartu, the co-founder of Enrich HK, a charity that trains Hong Kong’s domestic helpers in financial literacy, says the 1983 book Imagined Communities taught her how boundaries, identities and race are all imagined

Higher Brothers, who rap about daily life and culture in China, will tour the US and Europe after visiting Hong Kong.

Peggy Chan, the restaurateur behind Grassroots Pantry, says the Maus graphic novel taught her how to channel suffering into something positive

Japanese natural farming pioneer Masanobu Fukuoka’s The One-Straw Revolution inspired Michelle Hong to give up an advertising career to turn to urban farming

• The head chef at French restaurant Belon became the youngest in Hong Kong to be awarded a Michelin star in December, says he has been defying expectations just like the British band

Gabrielle Kirstein tells how Uncommon Service, a book by Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei and leadership guru Anne Morriss, helped her transform her business

Designer Fu, who made his name with The Upper House in 2009, has taken on a new project – the five-star St. Regis Hong Kong

Fanny Moritz, founder of NO!W No Waste, says the 2013 book helped her overhaul her lifestyle and her attitude towards consuming

• ‘It was the humour that pulled me in’, says Elaine Ip, co-founder of The Week music festival

Samson Young recalls ‘falling in love with’ Dmitry Kabalevsky’s Thirty Children’s Pieces for Piano, Op 27

Vincent Lim, creative director of Hong Kong-based design studio Lim + Lu, which he founded with wife Elaine Manzi Lu, explains why he keeps Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’s Works on his desk

Singapore Airlines was established in 1972, but it’s celebrating its 60th year of flying to Hong Kong. The airline has won more awards than any other and is often named airline of the year.

Destination Shanghai by Paul French tells the vibrant and villainous tales of a host of Westerners who made Shanghai their home in the early 20th century

Music consultant Simon Pang Washford says the American hip hop trio’s 1989 album was a work of art as it tackled subjects serious and flippant with playfulness and humour

Retailers want to stand out from the crowd, and the right music can give them a sense of uniqueness. Music consultants create playlists to create the right vibe for the bar, restaurant, hotel or store.

• The Tipping Point provided Jeff Rotmeyer with the inspiration to move ahead with homeless charity ImpactHK