David Barrie

I’ve had a varied career: deckhand, diplomat, intelligence analyst, arts administrator, campaigner and now author. I was brought up on the south coast of England where I learned to sail. I became fascinated by the art of navigation and, having crossed the Atlantic in a 35-foot yacht when I was 19, competed in the Observer Two-Handed Round Britain Race the following year. I’ve made many long passages under sail and cruised all over the world. As a diplomat I was involved in the negotiations that led to the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 which paved the way for the Good Friday Agreement. As director of the Art Fund, I led the successful campaign to restore free admission to Britain’s greatest museums and galleries. I later chaired an organisation lobbying for criminal justice reform. I am a fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation. I live in London and I’m the great-great nephew of J M Barrie, the author of Peter Pan.