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Outlook has been asking you for your stories about the father figure in your life - your real dad, or someone who stepped into the role when your own father wasn't available.

We were inspired by the story of the American writer Bruce Feiler. After Bruce was diagnosed with cancer, he asked some of his close male friends to form a 'council of dads' to take on a fatherly role towards his twin daughters if he died. He spoke to Matthew Bannister and told him why he thought it was so important for children to have a male influence in their lives.

Matthew Bannister says this about his father

"This is me and my Dad - Neville - on the beach. Dad came from a poor background but did well at school and became the first in his family to go to university. He worked as a research chemist but he was also incredibly well read and knew all the great works of Western literature, had a deep knowledge of classical music and jazz and loved to talk about history and politics. By example, he taught me so many things: always to remember people who are less fortunate than you; to look at all sides of an argument before deciding your own opinion; to put your family at the centre of your life. Above all he introduced me to the things that have given me the greatest pleasure in my life: the radio, music, literature, art and the British countryside. He died in 2001 of the terrible muscle wasting illness Motor Neurone Disease, enduring his final months with his customary calmness and with immense courage. I still miss him every day."

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Lots of you have been emailing us to tell us what your dad, or father figure, means to you. Here is a selection:

Denzel Daley from Columbia, United States

"He was hard, cold and rigid! But at that time he was preparing me and my brothers for a greater existence, my dad used action and honesty with everyone that interacted with him. He is my steady hand on the wheel and my consciousness when I lose my way. Thanks."

Irene Hoe from Singapore

"My dad came into my life when I was 17...and for the first time in my life, I had a dad, not just in name, but a father who was home every night and all weekend...after that first time - saying "Dad" got easier and easier. I had never had a real father before...For the last 43 years, I have been blessed and loved. I visit mom and dad regularly...On each visit, dad and I always have some private time together...dad always listens."

Jennifer Nunes

"My father - "Papa" - was very special to me....He also shared a snapshot of the world 'out there' and it's awesome offerings. He made me promise to see it and to 'live it', and I would like to believe that I am halfway there. Papa was a seaman and had an anchor tattooed on his right arm to prove it. That arm can be credited for lifting me to the highest of heights - without fear - because of my anchor, my Papa."

Sifat Ahmed, who calls his father 'baba'

"At the age of 3 months, he placed me on his stomach as he watched the news and introduced the planet to me for the first time. Growing up, I learned from him how to react to this unknown world. His calmness, use of kind, yet authoritative, words throughout a crisis, his ability to take well thought out and swift action always amazed me...He represents to me a man embodying the perfect balance between the demands of modern life and the practice of one's faith."

Mattias Glassner from Salzburg, Austria

"Having a father is a wonderful thing. My father was my first friend. He gave and still gives me mental strength and advice. He is someone I can fully rely on, which is, especially these days, something very precious. Both parts, a mother and a father, are enormously important for a child."

Andrei Revenco from Moldova

"My father is a plant (factory) worker, so he had the same daily routine for years: he got up early and went to work, in the evenings he had his dinner and fell asleep...I didn't get much attention from my father as a child...The only time he spent with me during the week was on Sundays, when we went to play soccer. During these games he taught me to fight, to be tough, to resist the pain and never burst out crying like a girl. I think these were the most important lessons in my life - lessons in being a man!"

Makori from Kenya: "My Dad " Tata"

"My Tata, who passed on 20 years ago, was a very wise man who gave me many tips about life and relationships. He provided for us and brought about a feeling of security and calmness to our home. He was polygamous and yet managed to unite all 30 of us from four mothers to the extent that we still today live like we are from one mother...I am a dad today and many times I have wished he was around to help me deal with situations I find myself in as a father."

Srinivasan from Kuwait

"I remember all the sacrifices and hardships he endured to raise me and my three sisters. I can proudly say that what I am today is because of my dad. He being a strict disciplinarian instilled some of the things which I treasure even today – austerity (I'm still careful with my pennies), education (I hold two professional qualifications in finance and two masters’ degrees), and professional independence (I currently run my own consultancy practice in Kuwait)...

Franz Tette Okyere from Ghana

"My father is a wonderful person but I didn't appreciate that until I grew up...his figure in the house represented a force to be reckoned with. Should any of us - my siblings and I - misbehave, he was seen as the not-too-nice parent compared with my mom. But he was the first point of call when we were in need of anything, from bathroom slippers through to school fees...he was seen as mean sometimes when he was not able to meet all our many needs...Llife can be rough for a man whose sole source of income from a taxi cab is expected to raise five children to University level. Growing up, it is becoming clearer that he has done his best."

Nian from Antigua & Barbuda in the Caribbean

"My dad has always been a distant figure throughout my life. I have just one precious memory of him. We all went to the beach and had a great time. After that day I remember little else. He moved on to marry his new wife...I am now 27 and have a beautiful four and a half year old daughter of my own. It's my life's goal to ensure that I am the best father to her that I can possibly be...I always make sure I spend time with my daughter...I plan on teaching her values and dream of the day I see her grow up to be an intelligent, graceful and ambitious woman. I may not have had a loving father figure in my life but if my daughter was old enough to email the ´óÏó´«Ã½ I hope she would say that I am hers."

Daniel Gula

"He nurtured a backyard vegetable garden that kept our neighbours happy. I'll always recall our tending it and his saying: "These plants are just like your life. Many people are involved with your growing up straight and right and it is your duty to produce and share with others, without taking anything in return."

Agnald Conteh from Freetown, Sierra Leone

"I can still remember when I was little - on weekends my father would gather all our dirty clothes and take them to the stream to wash them because we had no tap at home. He even mended those that needed mending and afterwards he would do the cooking. Later on at night, when everyone was asleep, he would go out to fetch water from the street taps that only opened at night...He has always been there for us, through thick and thin, and we love him very much. He calls me 'First Lady', and daddy, you are my 'First Gentleman'. What more could I have asked for in a dad?"

Elizabeth Sensele from Lusaka, Zambia

"He has been the best friend I've ever had. This is unusual among black Zambians like us. Tradition is still well and alive and dictates that fathers and their daughters have no business being close...Dad has always had the ´óÏó´«Ã½ on practically all day and night. This sparked an interest in world events within me with an intensity that's difficult to describe. He causes me to think more deeply about almost everything around me, and makes learning enjoyable... because he often provokes debates I can't hold with anyone else I know...This is my role model, this is my father."

Dixon Djanzi from Ghana

"My father died when I was only four. Mom had to take care of three boys (including me) and two girls...She started to play the role of a tough father and a caring mother...She watched the English premier league with us during the weekends and sometimes the UEFA champions league...I never missed a father in my life. Once I went for a job interview and I was asked who my father was and I mentioned mom's name before I realized it! Now in my late twenties, I still see her as my father because she would call once in a while and say "Do what a man is created to do."