Stephen Fry and Friends of Christopher Hitchens *MIRROR*

ORIGINAL VIDEO PLEASE VISIT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taOBFURZvcA

In this historic event, Stephen Fry and other friends of Christopher Hitchens came together to celebrate the life and work of this great writer, iconoclast and debater. Fry was joined on stage at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall by Richard Dawkins and the two discussed Hitch's unflinching commitment to the truth. Hollywood actor Sean Penn was beamed in from LA by Google+ and, between cigarette puffs, read from Hitch's acclaimed work, The Trial of Henry Kissinger. Five friends of Hitch spoke via satellite in New York: satirist Christopher Buckley and editor Lewis Lapham mused on Hitch's prowess as a journalist. 'Like a pot of gold', said Lapham. Martin Amis, Salman Rushdie and James Fenton delighted the audience with stories of Hitchens as a young man. Rushdie drew roars of laughter when he recounted a word game invented by Amis and Hitchens where the word 'love' is replaced with 'hysterical sex'. Particular favourites included Hysterical Sex in the Time of Cholera and Hysterical Sex Is All You Need.

Watching the event with Hitch at his bedside in Texas, Hitch's wife Carol and novelist Ian McEwan provided an email commentary. 'His Rolls Royce mind is still purring beautifully', typed McEwan.

The event was watched live by 2500 at the venue, and by thousands more in UK cinemas and online.

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[MyDutchOven]

Sadened by the news of his death today. Stephen Frys words some him up perfectly:

"You were envied, feared, adorded, reviled and loved. Never ignored. Never bested. A great and Marvellous man"

The world really has lost one of the best! RIP Hitch

[thisismyname1987]

Thank you for uploading been looking for this since the filming cheers.

[xekken]

Farewell, great voice. Great voice of reason, of humanity, of humour. Great voice against cant, against hypocrisy, against obscurantism and pretension, against all tyrants including God. Farewell, great warrior. You were in a foxhole, Hitch, and you did not flinch. Farewell, great example to us all. - Richard Dawkins on Hitch

[zeldaofarel]

I love Stephen Fry's voice! Partly why I can't stop watching Jeeves & Wooster is because I love listening to him.

[FriendLondonFriend]

27:00

Does that poet Fenton, have a dog named Fenton, too?

[euroman32589]

excellent upload..would have preferred dawkins as the chair and fry as the guest.

[euroman32589]

@MyDutchOven ..here here.

[lordlacolith]

I wasn't entirely sure when this was filmed, and for a long while I listened to this as a beautiful funerary service.

[Bastiat90]

You weren't being a dick... you were rightly offended by my lack of tact. I'm locked and loaded, ready to ride into the valley of death

[93bottom]

@Bastiat90 Thank you :) and sorry to be a dick. Looking forward to your arguments, they seem well thought out and reasoned. See you on the battlefield!

[Bastiat90]

OK... you make a fair point. I apologise for any offence caused and I will take this argument to other Hitchens videos.