Adrienne O'Sullivan's Desert Island Discs

3 things to take with you

• A mirror – I can make fire by reflecting the sun in it, look at anything behind me and signal to any overhead planes if I want to go home.
• The complete guide to art through the centuries – I’d love to finally learn all about the lives of our greatest artists and see their life’s work.
• A photo album of all the significant people in my life; family, friends and mentors. The most important things in life to me are the people I have met throughout my life, especially those closest to me – just to see their image will keep me going.

Book

Oxford English Dictionary – I love words and have a talent with malapropisms – might put them all in a book one day. I’d have hours of fun learning about the origin of words. ‘Knowledge is power’ – Sir Francis Bacon.

Music

‘Song for Athene’ by John Tavener (also known as “Alleluia. May Flights of Angels Sing Thee to Thy Rest”). Written in April 1993 by Tavener as a tribute to Athene Hariades, a young half-Greek actress who was a family friend killed in a cycling accident. Athene was a close friend of mine in College.

Quote

I’m greedy so I’ll share two..

“Never for an instant forget the effort to renew your life, to build yourself anew. Creativity means to push open the heavy, groaning doorway of life itself. This is not an easy task. Indeed, it may be the most severely challenging struggle there is. For opening the door to your own life is in the end more difficult than opening the door to all the mysteries of the universe.” Daisaku Ikeda

“Don’t despair, keep working, keep open, keep learning, keep looking.” Katie Mitchell

I live by these quotes on a daily basis.