A MISSION TO STOP EXTINCTION. Fanny Minesi is General Director of Friends of Bonobos - Les Amis des Bonobos du Congo (ABC). Her organisation operates the world's only sanctuary – Lola ya Bonobo - and only rewilding site for bonobos – Ekolo ya Bonobo. Raised in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), she has been immersed in wildlife conservation since childhood. In November 2023 she was presented with the Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa by William, Prince of Wales. Fanny Minesi works to secure the future of endangered bonobos through rescue and rehabilitation, rewilding, conservation law enforcement, education, and economic development.

"The only way to survive for bonobos is making a transfer of affection with someone or another bonobo. Love is really important for their survival."

"What is different about our organisation is that when small bonobos arrive, we give them a surrogate mother who will give them love and affection."

"If we want Congo to value the protection of its natural resources, we will have to show the country that choosing protection of forest and biodiversity leads to development for the people."

DESIRE FOR FREEDOM. Edward St Aubyn is a British novelist. Five of his books - Never Mind, Bad News, Some Hope, Mother's Milk and At Last - form the semi-autobiographical Patrick Melrose Novels. In 2018 Benedict Cumberbatch starred in the title role of the five-part drama Patrick Melrose. Edward's more recent work includes Dunbar - which retells King Lear - and Double Blind, which has been described as 'a book of big ideas, in which the characters experiment with medicine, psychology, narcotics, religion and meditation to understand themselves and find peace. But as cerebral as the book is, it is also deeply felt, because St Aubyn has been thinking about these issues for decades.'

"I spoke in every voice except my own."

"I had the double relief of having turned myself into Patrick Melrose, and then Benedict Cumberbatch taking over the burden of being Patrick"

"The common driving force of all my work is a desire for freedom"

AT HOME IN TANGIER. Rob Ashford is an American stage director and choreographer. He is a Tony Award, Olivier Award, Emmy Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award winner.

"The actors come, and they all fall in love with Tangier I promise you that."

"There was blood and mud everywhere, and the audience just really loved it."

"I was very lucky in my career. I am so happy. I could not be happier."

STRIKINGLY INVENTIVE STORYTELLER. Edward Carey is an English playwright and illustrator who settled in Austin in 2006 and teaches at the University of Texas. His Italian publisher Elisabetta Sgarbi recently made a short film based on his story "Gatto e la casa dei fantasmi" ("The Cat and the House of Ghosts") which she showed at the 41st Torino Film Festival.

Caius Pawson founded the independent British record label Young in 2005, initially as a series of raves and gigs known as Young Turks. Young now works across a broad spectrum of the arts and sits within the Beggars Group of record labels. Young’s evolution and diversification has seen them producing festivals, short films, contemporary ballets, and an assortment of other artistic activities.

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION AT A TIME OF TECHNOLOGY AND TENSION. Costis Maglaras is the Dean of Columbia Business School, and the David and Lyn Silfen Professor of Business at Columbia University. He received his BS in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, London, in 1990, and his MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 1991 and 1998, respectively. He joined Columbia Business School in 1998, and prior to becoming dean served as chair of the Decision, Risk & Operations division at the Business School, Director of the School's doctoral program, and was a member of the executive committee of the University's Data Science Institute. He is a Fellow of INFORMS, an Honorary Fellow of the Foreign Policy Association, and a Member of the Economic Club of New York.

BREAKING FREE. Suzanne Heywood sailed around the world as a child with her family. Despite limited access to formal education, she won a place at Oxford University, became a civil servant, and is now a successful business leader and a bestselling author. Her recent book ‘Wavewalker’ has been described as ‘A jaw-dropping and thrilling real-life adventure on the high seas for a girl who just craved normality and finally found her way back to it.’

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION AT A TIME OF TECHNOLOGY AND TENSION. Costis Maglaras is the Dean of Columbia Business School, and the David and Lyn Silfen Professor of Business at Columbia University. He received his BS in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, London, in 1990, and his MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 1991 and 1998, respectively. He joined Columbia Business School in 1998, and prior to becoming dean served as chair of the Decision, Risk & Operations division at the Business School, Director of the School's doctoral program, and was a member of the executive committee of the University's Data Science Institute. He is a Fellow of INFORMS, an Honorary Fellow of the Foreign Policy Association, and a Member of the Economic Club of New York.

VISION THROUGH THE PRISM OF ARTS AND CULTURE. Elaine Bedell has been the Chief Executive of the UK’s largest arts centre, London’s Southbank Centre, since 2017. She has extensive experience as a leader in the creative industries. She was a Trustee of the V&A, is on the Council of Creative UK (which represents the UK’s creative industries) and is a Trustee of The Yard theatre in East London. Previously Elaine worked in senior roles in television. She was Controller of Entertainment at the BBC, moving across to ITV as Director of Entertainment and Comedy in 2009. Elaine has won a BAFTA and a British Comedy Award, and served as Executive Chair of the Edinburgh International TV Festival for four years.

AN EYE FOR DETAIL. François-Joseph Graf is an architect, interior designer and decorator. He is also a serious art collector, a man of eclectic talents. He just opened At Sloane, a hotel of 30 rooms in London, in Chelsea near Sloane Square.