“I originally chose the mulberry tree in the Bursar’s garden which I used to pass on my way to my office in the Master’s Lodge Annexe. I have fond memories grazing off the squishy low-hanging fruit which would collapse in my palm, oozing its burgundy-coloured juice, and which would otherwise — judging from the purple carpet beneath — have dropped to the ground. But when Pari and I arrived we saw it had recently been pruned and was looking rather miserable so we decided (almost randomly) to relocate to a room at the front of the College, with a view onto the New Court.

On the window ledge is a portrait of my grandmother, Helene Begleiter, aged 89, taken by Jill Furmanovsky  Born in Tarnow, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, my grandmother was twice a refugee: first in 1933, from Germany to Austria, then in 1939, from Austria to England, when she followed my mother who had escaped on the Kindertransport. Born into wealth and privilege, my grandmother suffered hardship and great loss, yet her innate optimism, creativity and love of life pulled her through. Nicknamed ‘The Duchess’ in her North London neighbourhood, she was a woman no-one could say no to. She had immense self-belief, which she somehow managed to transmit to those close to her. Her presence was so strong, it could sometimes feel overwhelming; perhaps that’s why, more than thirty years after her death in 1992, those who knew her still speak of her as though she is still around. She gave unconditional support to family and friends even (and especially) when their life choices seemed unconventional and attracted disapproval from others. She had great strength of character and lived life on her own terms. She remains an inspiration and a source of moral support, and I still feel her nurturing presence.

The other photo is of a doorway in Tunisia. I frequently found myself passing through (and sometimes living behind) doors like these while carrying out fieldwork there.

The book I am holding is by Betty Balcombe, a dear friend whose wisdom, insight, humour, and clarity of vision has accompanied me through many of life’s adventures. Her title, reminding that others may always see things differently, resonates with my approach to teaching and the transmission of knowledge generally.”