The Bright White Tree

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He is honorary historical adviser to 10 Downing Street and a member of the First World War Centenary Culture Committee. Seldon was knighted in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to education and modern political history. [8] [9] Early life and education [ edit ] He was going out with her best friend and she was seeing Alex Cox, now a film director. "I'd endlessly talk to Joanna about the ups and downs I had with this girl," he remembers. "I did notice that she started getting a bit cross that I was talking about that."

Much like Kitty Pakenham, the wife of the Duke of Wellington, Lady Joanna Seldon was cognisant of the great duty attached to the role of master's wife. In her case she entered into a marriage with someone who was a workaholic, one who combined the demanding role of being the headmaster of a leading public school with being a prolific author and journalist. Dennis Kavanagh, Anthony Seldon (1999). The Powers Behind the Prime Minister: The Hidden Influence of Number Ten. HarperCollins. p.352. ISBN 0002570866. Joanna was a truly inspirational figure within the College for the decade during which her husband, Sir Anthony Seldon, was Master. A wonderful and deeply loving mother to Jessica, Susannah and Adam, Joanna was also an outstanding teacher, a brilliant author in her own right, and simply a wonderful human being. Her 2015 valediction from the Wellington College Yearbook captures the essence of what made Joanna such a special person:Seldon was born in Stepney, [10] the youngest son of economist Arthur Seldon (born Abraham Margolis), who co-founded the Institute of Economic Affairs and directed academic affairs at the think tank for 30 years. [1] His father was the child of Jewish immigrants who fled antisemitic pogroms in Russia. [11]

He is the deputy chair and instigator of the Times Education Commission, former chair of the Comment Awards, president of the International Positive Education Network (IPEN), chair of the National Archives Trust and he was the originator of the Via Sacra/Western Front Way Walk. Joanna was an author and wrote a number of acclaimed novels and short stories as well as a large number of poems. As an English teacher she played a key role in school life at Wellington College, where Anthony was previously Master.Seldon never expressed pity when she fell ill. Speaking about her cancer she said the experience had not been "wholly negative". "I found amazing strength in myself, which I just didn't know was there," she said. "It's brought me closer to my family, to my husband, to our three children, my sisters." Seldon, Anthony (1999). 10 Downing Street: The Illustrated History. HarperCollins Illustrated. p.232. ISBN 0004140737. Former pupils invited to help school celebrate centenary". Edenbridge Chronicle . Retrieved 5 July 2020. Seldon, Anthony (15 May 2012). "We need to fix Britain's character flaws". The Daily Telegraph. London . Retrieved 5 September 2013. His latest project is for Joanna. After her diagnosis she decided to write a biography of her late father, Dr Maurice Pappworth. She wanted it to be published this year to mark the 50th anniversary of his campaign to stop medical experiments on humans, and now Anthony is overseeing the final edits and publication, which is scheduled for this autumn.