Rohan Silva on Colin Chapman

Matthew Parris profiles the inventor of the car that changed the face of Formula One

• 28 mins

Matt Lucas on Freddie Mercury

Matt Lucas chooses Freddie Mercury

• 28 mins

Shappi Khorsandi on Emma, Lady Hamilton

Shappi Khorsandi chooses Emma, Lady Hamilton Lord Nelson’s mistress.

• 28 mins

Catherine de Medici nominated by Helen Lewis

Helen Lewis nominates the so-called 'Black Queen' of France, Catherine de Medici.

• 28 mins

Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, chosen by Tom Holland

Tom Holland chooses Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians

• 28 mins

Malcolm Lowry, nominated by Ian McMillan

As a young man looking for a literary hero, poet Ian McMillan found writer Malcolm Lowry

• 28 mins

Kirill Gerstein on Ferruccio Busoni

Kirill Gerstein chooses conductor, composer and virtuoso Ferruccio Busoni

• 28 mins

Caroline Criado-Perez on Jane Austen

The feminist campaigner and writer Caroline Criado-Perez champions the life of Jane Austen

• 28 mins

Jeremy Deller on The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein

Turner Prize artist Jeremy Deller chooses The Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

• 28 mins

Shirley Collins on Alan Lomax

Shirley Collins and Billy Bragg on the legendary American song-hunter Alan Lomax.

• 28 mins

Kamila Shamsie chooses Asma Jahangir

Kamila Shamsie champions the life of the human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir.

• 28 mins

Robinson Crusoe

Real-life castaway Lucy Irvine nominates Robinson Crusoe. With Martin Popplewell.

• 28 mins

Ed Balls nominates Herbert Howells

Ed Balls discusses the influence of 20th-century composer Herbert Howells on his life.

• 28 mins

Laura Marling on Lou Andreas-Salome

Laura Marling on the first female psychoanalyst Lou Andreas-Salomé.

• 28 mins

Caroline Quentin nominates Sir John Vanbrugh

Caroline Quentin nominates the 17th century dramatist and architect Sir John Vanbrugh

• 28 mins

First Labour Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald

Ramsay Macdonald, Labour's first Prime Minister, chosen by Shaun Ley.

• 28 mins

Philippa Perry on the Italian educator Maria Montessori

Psychotherapist Philippa Perry on the Italian educator Maria Montessori.

• 28 mins

Fiona Shaw nominates the actress Eleonora Duse

Eleonora Duse, pioneering 19th-century actress, is the choice of Fiona Shaw.

• 28 mins

Comedian Sindhu Vee on Prince

The comedian Sindhu Vee nominates Prince, the musical superstar.

• 28 mins

Constance Agatha Cummings-John

Author Chibundu Onuzo on the first elected female in Africa, Constance Cummings-John.

• 28 mins

Just William / Richmal Crompton proposed by Peter Oborne with Martin Jarvis

William Brown, star of the Just William books, proposed by Peter Oborne.

• 28 mins

Lee Miller, war photographer and model

Lindsey Hilsum on the extraordinary life of Lee Miller.

• 28 mins

Jeremy Paxman nominates Lord Shaftesbury

Jeremy Paxman nominates the Victorian social reformer Lord Shaftesbury.

• 28 mins

Novelist Enid Blyton

How can Enid Blyton not be a great life?

• 28 mins

Bill Bailey on his hero Alfred Russel Wallace

Bill Bailey and his love for Victorian naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace

• 28 mins

Charlie Parker nominated by Ken Clarke

Charlie Parker - Bird - proposed by Ken Clarke

• 28 mins

Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut on Kurt Vonnegut, with a little help from Josie Long

• 28 mins

Andi Oliver on Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison

Andi Oliver chooses the Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison

• 28 mins

Rick Stein on Jim Morrison

Chef, writer and presenter Rick Stein nominates Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors.

• 26 mins

Frank Cottrell Boyce on Tove Jansson

Frank Cottrell-Boyce on Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomins.

• 27 mins