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Baroness Haleh Afshar

Kirsty Young's castaway is academic Baroness Haleh Afshar.

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Baroness Haleh Afshar. An expert in Middle Eastern Affairs, she's a professor of politics and women's studies and Islamic law as well as being a cross-bench peer. She grew up in Iran and France living a life of huge privilege but, inspired by reading Jane Eyre, she decided she needed to learn to stand on her own two feet. She came to Britain as a boarding school pupil when she was 14 and has made her home here.

She has been an outspoken critic of the Iranian regime and, coming from a long line of independent-minded women, that's little surprise. Her mother campaigned for women to have the vote while her grandmother refused to wear the veil. Though in her grandmother's case, that was because she thought she was too pretty to be covered up.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Record: Prelude to Bach's Cello Suite No.1
Book: Collected poems by Hafiz
Alternate to Bible: Koran
Luxury: A rose bush.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 2 Jan 2009 09:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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Music Played

  • Shusha

    Barun Baruneh / The Rain

    • Persian Love Songs and Mystic Chants.
    • Lyrichord Discs.

  • JosΓ©phine Baker

    J'attendrai (I will wait)

    • My Greatest Songs.
    • RCA.

  • Hassan Golnaraghi

    Mara Beboos - original old recording (NOT COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE)

  • Γ‰dith Piaf

    Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

    • Edith Piaf: 25th anniversary, Vol 2.
    • Columbia.

  • The Beatles

    Yellow Submarine

    • Yellow Submarine.
    • Parlophone.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Der Hölle Rache (from The Magic Flute)

    Soloist: Lucia Popp Orchestra: The Philharmonia Orchestra Conductor: Otto Klemperer

    • Soprano Arias.
    • HMV Classics.

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Johann Sebastian Bach

      Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G major - 1st movement

      Soloist: Jacqueline Du PrΓ©

      • Bach: Britten: Falla: Du PrΓ©.
      • EMI.

  • Bette Midler

    Wind Beneath My Wings

    • Beaches.
    • Atlantic.

  • Book Choice

    • Collected poems - Hafiz

  • Luxury Choice

    • A rose bush

Credits

Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Haleh Afshar

Broadcasts

  • Sun 28 Dec 2008 11:15
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Fri 2 Jan 2009 09:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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