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Kate Ewart-Biggs, Deputy Chief Executive, British Council

Kate Ewart-Biggs, deputy CEO of the British Council, shares the eight discs, book and luxury item she would want with her if cast away on a desert island. With Lauren Laverne.

Kate Ewart-Biggs is the deputy chief executive of the British Council, which aims to build connections between the UK and countries worldwide, through education programmes, language learning and cultural activities.

Kate was born into a diplomatic family and her early childhood years were spent in France and Belgium. In 1976, when she was eight years old, her father Christopher Ewart-Biggs was appointed British ambassador to Ireland. Two weeks into his new job, he was killed by an IRA landmine. Kate's mother Jane moved the family back to London and began to campaign for peace and reconciliation in Ireland: she became a life peer in 1981.

After studying anthropology at university, Kate worked on charity projects for street children in Brazil and South Africa before joining the British Council. Her career has taken her all around the world including postings in Uganda, Tanzania and Indonesia.

She lives in London with her daughter.

DISC ONE: I Could Have Danced All Night by My Fair Lady Orchestra, My Fair Lady Chorus, Marni Nixon (soprano), AndrΓ© Previn (conductor), Mona Washbourne (played Mrs. Pearce), My Fair Lady Original Motion Picture Cast and Warner Brothers Studio Orchestra
DISC TWO: Et Si Tu N’existais Pas by Joe Dassin
DISC THREE: Mr Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan
DISC FOUR: I Don’t Like Mondays by The Boomtown Rats
DISC FIVE: Lambada by Kaoma
DISC SIX: Namagembe by Madoxx Sematimba
DISC SEVEN: I And Love And You by The Avett Brothers
DISC EIGHT: American Pie by Don McLean

BOOK CHOICE: The Complete Novels of Jane Austen
LUXURY ITEM: An asthma inhaler
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Mr. Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan

Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Sarah Taylor

Available now

36 minutes

Last on

Fri 22 Jul 2022 09:00

Music Played

  • Marni Nixon

    I Could Have Danced All Night

    • My Fair Lady Soundtrack.
    • Columbia.
    • 10.
  • Joe Dassin

    Et Si Tu N'existais Pas

    • Joe Dassin Γ‰ternel....
    • Sony Music Media.
    • 1.
  • Bob Dylan

    Mr. Tambourine Man

    • The Essential Bob Dylan.
    • Columbia.
    • 2.
  • The Boomtown Rats

    I Don't Like Mondays

    • Loudmouth - The Best Of Bob Geldof & The Boomtown Rats.
    • EMI.
    • 1.
  • Kaoma

    Lambada

    • Latino Summer.
    • UMOD (Universal Music On Demand).
    • 20.
  • Madoxx Sematimba

    Namagembe

    • Tukolagane.
    • 7.
  • The Avett Brothers

    I And Love And You

    • I And Love And You.
    • American Recordings Catalog P&D.
    • 1.
  • Don McLean

    American Pie

    • Legendary Songs Of Don McLean.
    • CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92).
    • 2.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 17 Jul 2022 11:15
  • Fri 22 Jul 2022 09:00

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