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Sir Anthony Seldon

Kirsty Young interviews educationalist and biographer Sir Anthony Seldon.

Kirsty Young's castaway is the educationalist and writer, Sir Anthony Seldon.

Now Vice-Chancellor of Buckingham University, he was the Master of Wellington College. He has written, co-written and edited more than 30 books, including political biographies of Prime Ministers Churchill, Blair, Brown and Cameron.

He had to take his 'A' levels twice before going on to read PPE at Oxford and doing a PhD at the LSE, before embarking on his teaching career. His first headmaster job was at Brighton College and then he went onto be Master of Wellington College. During his tenure, the school became co-educational, set up partner schools in China, and introduced a more holistic approach to learning with happiness classes and stillness sessions added to the curriculum and in 2009 the state secondary Wellington Academy was founded in Wiltshire.

He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Royal Society of Arts and in 2014 was knighted for services to education and modern political history.

Producer: Cathy Drysdale.

Available now

37 minutes

Last on

Fri 22 Jan 2016 09:00
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 FM

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Music Played

  • Claude Michel Schonberg / Herbert Kretzmer

    One Day More

    Performer: Wellington College Orchestra & Singers.

  • CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE

    • Gregorio Allegri

      Miserere

      Performer: Tallis Scholars. Director: Peter Phillips.
      • Allegri/Palestrin/Mundy.
      • Gimell Records.

  • The Beatles

    We Can Work It Out

    • The Beatles: 1.
    • Apple.

  • John Williams

    Theme from SchindlerΒ’s List

    Performer: Mira Steenbrugge. Performer: Simon Williamson.

  • Hans Zimmer, Lisa Gerrard, Klaus Badelt

    Now We Are Free

    Performer: Lisa Gerrard. Performer: The Lyndhurst Orchestra.
    • Gladiator: Music From the Motion Picture.
    • Decca.

  • Jean Sibelius

    Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43

    Performer: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Herbert von Karajan.
    • Sibelius: Symphonie NR. 2.
    • Deutsche Gramophon.

  • Samuel Barber

    Adagio for Strings

    Performer: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Leonard Slatkin.

  • Gustav Holst

    I Vow to Thee My Country

    Performer: Brighton College Chapel Choir. Performer: Richard Dawson. Conductor: Sandy Chenery.

  • BOOK CHOICE

    A Collection of Joanna Seldon’s short stories and poetry

  • LUXURY ITEM

    A yoga & prayer mat

Credits

Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Anthony Seldon
Producer Cathy Drysdale

Broadcasts

  • Sun 17 Jan 2016 11:15
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Fri 22 Jan 2016 09:00
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 FM

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