Join Bobby Seagull in a fun and inspiring conversation with children’s book author Ashley Thorpe about the role books and libraries played in Bobby’s upbringing, and how staying with maths has opened the door to the many different and interesting experiences he’s had so far in life.

Bobby Seagull MBE is a teacher, broadcaster, and writer. After a career as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers, Bobby switched trajectories and became a teacher, a passion that started with a scholarship to Eton College. He writes regularly for the Financial Times and has published two books: Monkman and Seagull Quiz Book and The Life-Changing Magic of Numbers. In 2025, Bobby received an MBE, being recognised for his services to public libraries, including serving as a Library Champion for CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals).

On television, Bobby was a co-host on Monkman and Seagull’s Genius Guides for BBC Two and Monkman and Seagull’s Genius Adventures. He was featured in E4’s The Real Dirty Dancing, and in popular gameshows such as Richard Osman’s House of Games, Pointless Celebrities, and in Countdown’s Dictionary Corner.