‘Christopher Hitchens in conversation with Stephen Fry’ this wasn’t — Hitchens had been struck down with pneumonia. No matter, ‘Stephen Fry and friends on the life, loves and hates of Christopher Hitchens’ at the South Bank didn’t disappoint.
Sean Penn was the first to offer his memories, fittingly complete with cigarette – an irony it was unclear whether he appreciated or not. Penn praised Hitchens’ rallying against the “ultimate childishness of Henry Kissinger” reading an excerpt from The Trials of Henry Kissinger, which satellite failure cut short.
Fry then welcomed Richard Dawkins onstage — the only participant who wasn’t communicating via satellite. Asked about the topic of offensiveness, he bemoaned that “we’re expected to be respectful… whether respect is deserved or not… and I don’t see any reason to do that if *off-ence* is deserved.”
Christopher Buckley then amused all with an anecdote about how Hitchens was forced to share the same church as Kissinger at Buckley’s father’s funeral.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in