Peter Whitehead: words and music

Peter Whitehead is a genuine polymath - writer, editor, presenter, musician, songwriter, playwright, actor, theatre director, and more. He worked at the highest levels of journalism during his 27 years at the Financial Times, before he retired in 2014 to pursue his many other interests.

History

Peter Whitehead was born in 1958 and grew up in the Northamptonshire village of Blisworth. He graduated in law from the London School of Economics in 1979, after which he became a journalist, working for local newspapers before joining the Financial Times in 1987. After various senior roles in news, Weekend FT and Special Reports, in 2010 he was made launch editor of the weekly Financial Times Executive Appointments section and editor of the FT’s Non-Executive Directors’ Club. While in that role he gave well-received guest lectures at business schools and to firms of consultants on the topics of the consumer society and executive pay. He is married with two daughters and lives in Claygate, Surrey. He retired from the FT in 2014 to pursue his passions for music, writing, sport, travel and charity work. In 2012 he released "Lori, Sam and Mary", an album of songs covering three American songwriters – and in 2023 released "All The Notes There Is", an album of self-penned or co-written original material. In 2019 he published an important book, The Rise of Antisocialism, based on those business school lectures. In 2024 he edited, published and contributed to "Class Mates", in which 14 former students recall how the LSE changed their lives. And in 2026, he directed and acted in his own play, "We Shall Not Be Moved" - to remarkable acclaim.

CONTACT ME: petercwhitehead@gmail.com

An old and historic Islamic scientist is working in his studio writing, reading and exploring.

Playwright / Actor / Director

We Shall Not Be Moved - a play exploring the ambiguities of building and getting old.

Shot of a mature businessman writing notes while working on a computer in an office

Music

Two albums released - All The Notes There Is and Lori, Sam and Mary.

Writing / Editing / Publishing

A collection of 14 memoirs of life at the London School of Economics in the 1970s

Full length of actor with scenario talking on dark stage in theater

Books

An explanation of how business imperatives are destroying the world.

An album of 10 original songs written, or co-written, by Peter Whitehead.

Listener response: “I listened to it end to end standing up in our living room, spellbound. These are good songs by any measure.”

BUY ALL THE NOTES THERE IS

To buy the CD and my other products, visit My Online Store or go to Amazon or other online retailers.

Or stream the album on Spotify and other streaming services.

Lake Tahoe Wedding - a video - https://youtu.be/D8Do5a03b1g

Just Who I Am - a video experiment! - https://youtu.be/kbhqFNQdqlU

A sweeping cascade of ideas, charting the ascendancy of the corporation and the attendant rise of individualism, materialism and antisocial behaviour, alongside the demise of socialism and the social contract. Clear explanations of the underlying forces at work give the reader a tool for understanding every day’s events. After reading this book, very little in the news will come as a surprise…

Reader responses: "I knew you were a good writer. But this is exceptional. It's totally gripping."

"I am 25 per cent through and am gripped! Lots to reflect on... I am struck by how much more focused on the numbers I have become at work - and how easily I could fall into the trap of forgetting why we founded the firm. An important book. I will be recommending it widely!"

Further links:

Being interviewed by Lewis Maleh for his Don't Take Out Your Phone podcast

BUY THE RISE OF ANTISOCIALISM

Buy it on Amazon by clicking here Or from my online SumUp store

How 14 students' lives were changed by the LSE in the 1970s. It's a tale of social mobility and the power of education. In his foreword, former Education Minister David Willetts calls these memoirs wonderful: “They are colourful and compelling personal accounts of a journey which might not otherwise be visible to the younger generation... These are illuminating and enjoyable human stories.”

Edited and published by Peter Whitehead (also a contributor)

BUY CLASS MATES

Click here to buy it on Amazon Click here to buy from my store

WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED

The most extraordinary thing I've done - writing a play, directing it and acting in it. And it was a huge success, winning widespread praise! If only I had an agent it would surely be transferring from Claygate Village Hall to a professional theatre. But I don't.

As one member of the audience said: “There were people who found themselves questioning their long-held views.” The play dealt with the damage to communities caused by unrestrained developers – it twisted and turned, and was full of ambiguities, becoming a study in hypocrisy, as principles clashed with the practicalities of the real word. To watch a recording of the play:

Click here for ACT 1 and here for ACT 2