London's 1000 most influential people 2012: Innovators, Thinkers
Richard Dawkins
Scientist and author
Since The Selfish Gene, his first book on evolutionary theory, Dawkins has become an evangelist for atheism, regularly speaking out against creationism and intelligent design. This year Dawkins was honoured by scientists who have named a genus of fish, Dawkinsia, after him. He is married to actress and ex-Doctor Who assistant Lalla Ward.
AC Grayling
Philosopher
One of Britain’s foremost contemporary thinkers and the author of The Secular Bible. His controversial New College of the Humanities university, which opened this year, aims to be a rival to Oxbridge but has come under fire for charging £18,000 fees.
Mary Beard
Academic
NEW ENTRY
The Cambridge don and elder stateswoman of intelligent television has a wonderful ability to animate her subject. This made her BBC2 series, Meet the Romans, a resounding hit, confounding critics unused to seeing an older woman on television. As well as lecturing at Cambridge, she is a prolific blogger.
Niall Ferguson
Academic
NEW ENTRY
The formidable and dashing professor of history seems to revel in controversy. He jumped ship from Oxford to Harvard eight years ago and is a vocal critic of the way history is taught in schools. In his popular Channel 4 series, Civilization, he argues that the domination of Western civilisation is coming to an end.
Neil O’Brien
Policy Exchange director
As the top policy wonk at the think tank Policy Exchange, O’Brien, still in in his early thirties, is one of the most influential people on the Right. Although his organisation is known as “Tory boot camp”, he says he belongs to no party.
Andrew Haldenby
Reform co-founder
The Cambridge-educated co-founder of the Right-wing think-tank Reform has called for the coalition Government to reduce spending faster and has argued that the civil service should be run like a business. Reform was set up to fight for better delivery of public services.
Will Self
Author
NEW ENTRY
Always unpredictable and amusing, Self’s satirical, often grotesque style has won him great critical acclaim. His ninth novel, Umbrella, was shortlisted for this year’s Man Booker Prize and he is a regular contributor on television and in the media, discussing literature, philosophy and politics.
