Monday 2nd March
Just imagine that after Routh this morning, instead of heading off to Period 1, we all filed out to waiting coaches. Those coaches would take us to the coast, where a ship would be ready to carry us far across the sea. One by one, each of us would be dropped off on our own tiny, deserted island, far away from any other land or human. Once we’d found food, built some shelter, and had a quick swim in the crystal鈥慶lear waters, we’d have plenty of time to enjoy the few things we managed to bring with us—including some music and a book.
This is, very loosely, the premise of the long-running BBC radio series Desert Island Discs. First broadcast in 1942, and still going strong after more than 3,000 episodes, the programme invites a guest to imagine being cast away and to choose eight pieces of music, one book, and one luxury item to keep them entertained during their solitude. Those choices become the starting point for a conversation about each guest’s life, memories, and values, helping listeners understand why certain books, music, and experiences matter so much to them.
You can easily download past Desert Island Discs episodes, each of which begins with the theme tune we heard a moment ago. If you do, you’ll hear all sorts of well-known people talking about their lives and what shaped them as people. For example, many of the episodes end with the interviewer asking the guest something like this:
So, you are now on this desert island, and you have your 8 records. What about the book you would also have? Assume you have complete a copy of the Works of Shakespear and the Bible – or alternative religious book - what other book would you choose to have with you?
I would choose the Caravan, compiled by Sterling Brown and published in 1940. It has poetry from 18th century black America, 19th century and 20th century excepts from plays, antislavery propaganda and some of the most beautiful poetry. That would be the book I would keep with me.
I don’t mind time on my own – I love being with friends and family, but I know that when I need to give myself energy, I need to give myself time and listen to music…and read. I love reading books on leadership and I’m a sucker for non-fiction. I’m also in a book club and the book that has had a big impact on me is The Chimp Paradox by Dr Steve Peters. It has a brilliant simple way of explaining how the brain works and how we react as we do and it helped me to deal with other people.
It’s a book that not many listeners will know. It’s called The Edge: The Guide to Fulfilling Dreams by Howard E. Ferguson and it was given to me by a former rugby league great, Dean Bell. It’s full of quotes by brilliant people who have been successful and it’s pretty much been my bible throughout my career. That’s the book I would keep with me on the island.
Thank you, Charlotte, for playing the part of three Desert Island Discs guests and speaking in their words about the books they would choose if they were cast away. Those guests were: the American author, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, Gareth Southgate, former England men’s football manager and Kevin Sinfield, former rugby league player and coach.
I wonder what we would say if we were interviewed about the books that are most important to us? Would we choose a book we loved so much we read it again and again...or an author we especially enjoy so we are always on the lookout for their next publication – or perhaps a book that was special because of who gave it to us, or where we first read it. The books we read say something about who we are. Someone once said, “Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.”
As we know, 2026 is the National Year of Reading, encouraging us all to read for pleasure and to make reading a part of our daily lives. I hope more of us will talk about what we enjoy reading, discover new favourites, and share the books that have meant something to us.
On that theme, about thirty five of you will have found a book under your seat this morning. These are books that others have read and then donated, hoping that someone else will enjoy them next. On the front of each book is a label inviting you to take this book, read it, and then leave it somewhere for the next person to find. So, our challenge is to read the book and then pass it on.
And more generally, whether we are reading under the duvet or under our desert island palm tree in the sun, learning to love reading is something really special that will enrich our lives far beyond School. Let’s all try to read more.