For the month of May, LSE125 is sharing the selections made by four impressive members of the LSE community who have appeared on the legendary radio programme, Desert Island Discs. On the show each guest, referred to as a "castaway", is asked to choose eight recordings, a book and a luxury item that they would take if they were to be cast away on a desert island.
Baroness Minouche Shafik
LSE Director Minouche Shafik chairs the lecture by Dr Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission 2020/LSE
Baroness Minouche Shafik is a leading economist, whose career has straddled public policy and academia. By the age of 36, had become the youngest ever Vice President of the World Bank. Minouche was appointed Director of the LSE in September 2017.
She was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2015. In July 2020 Minouche was made a cross-bench peer in the House of Lords.
Her new book What We Owe Each Other: A New Social Contract is out now.
She appeared on Desert Island on 25 February 2018, and these were her choices.
Tracks: Keith Jarrett - The Köln Concert, Animosity (An Egyptian piece of music), Three Dog Night - Black and White, Fleetwood Mac - Don’t Stop, Beethoven - Ode to Joy, Joni Mitchell - All I Want, Queen - Don’t Stop Me Now and Bach - Prelude No. 3 in C Sharp Major.
Book: A Survival Guide for the Island
Luxury: Albums of her children
Listen to her episode here here
Sir John Burgh
John Burgh/LSE
Sir John Burgh arrived in Britain unable to speak any English and eventually became Director General of the British Council. Along the way he was a part of the LSE community for over 50 years. At LSE Burgh served as a Governor from 1980-2004 and was chair of the Library Panel for several years. In 1985 he became Chairman of the Court of Governors.
He appeared on Desert Island on 8 December 1984, and these were his choices.
Tracks: Franz Schubert - Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat major, Giuseppe Verdi - Kyrie (from Requiem Mass), Siegfried's Funeral March (from Götterdämmerung), Beethoven - Finale, Act 2 (from Fidelio), Hector Berlioz - The Trojans Act 4, Benjamin Britten - Requiem aeternam (from War Requiem), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - The Marriage of Figaro Act 2 and Christoph Willibald Gluck - Orpheus and Euridice.
Book: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Luxury: A transistor radio
Listen to his episode here
Shami Chakrabarti
Shami Chakrabarti in 2015/LSE
Shami Chakrabarti is a barrister, human rights activist, Visiting Professor in Practice at LSE Law and an alumna of LSE. She also served as the Shadow Attorney General for England & Wales and as Director of Liberty, an advocacy group which promotes civil liberties and human rights.
She appeared on Desert Island on 2 November 2008, and these were her choices.
Tracks: Nina Simone - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free, David Bowie - 'Heroes', Robert Schumann - Von fremden Ländern und Menschen (from Scenes from Childhood), George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue, Kaiser Chiefs - The Angry Mob, The Enemy - It's Not OK, Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time and Mozart - Requiem in D minor.
Book: To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
Luxury: A private screening room with movies.
Listen to her episode here
Martin Lewis
Martin Lewis in 2019/LSE
Martin Lewis is a financial journalist, campaigner, broadcaster and LSE alum. His high-profile campaigns on bank charges, student finance, and mental health and debt have made national headlines. He founded the Money Saving Expert website in 2003.
He appeared on Desert Island on 7 June 2020, and these were his choices.
Tracks: Ricky Martin - Livin’ La Vida Loca, Adam And The Ants - Stand and Deliver, Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald - Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off, Joni Mitchell - The Circle Game, The Rolling Stones - (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, Composed by Johann Strauss II, conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent and performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - The Blue Danube, Oystar - I Fought the Lloyds and Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.
Book: A Game of Thrones: The Story Continues: The complete boxset of all 7 books (A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R.R. Martin
Luxury: Solar powered electric carving knife.
Listen to his episode here
These profile intros have been adapted from Desert Island Discs and LSE History Blog posts by Sue Donnelly.