Stephen Fry & friends on the life, loves and hates of Christopher Hitchens - IQ2 talks

http://hitchfry.intelligencesquared.com/

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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News & Politics

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• iqvideo

[GIGANTOR89]

I raise my glass to you Hitch, Cheers.

[sjatox]

Thank you Christopher Hitchens for all of your hard work and for inspiration.

What a great gathering of intelligent poeple - these people are the ones i look up to.

[PatDundon]

I love how youtube wouldn't go to full screen during the sean penn interview. YOUTUBE sucks dead dix.

[markcredsys]

9 Archbishops don't like this. Seriously, get a fucking life.

[tony671]

@chrismrowley yeah you hit the nail right on the head.Genius

[chrismrowley]

@emerald

Obviously depends on who you ask. My opinion on Hitch and his work is that it is Genius

[DirtyPwnGuild]

@EmeraldTriangle80 Not to say he didn't and still has a sizeable following. He was well known in the literary circle but more for the company he kept I think. However his debates and talks were always sold out and surprisingly he was covered very thoroughly on the news here when he died.

[DirtyPwnGuild]

@EmeraldTriangle80 I've just written a reply but it seems to have vanished so this may be a repeat but...The general public didn't really 'get' him here. He appeared occasionally as on political media like 'Question Time' but it was his brother Peter who was more well known. On religion, generally people were too fascinated with Dawkins for Hitchens to actually have an impact and he rarely appeared in UK media to talk about it. It's a shame we didn't really appreciate one of our best exports.

[CorporalNym]

Give 'em god threaten 'em with his hell and they'll follow you and kill and die for you and for the god you fooled 'em with. Hurrah for Hitchens.

[EmeraldTriangle80]

An open question from an American to anyone from the UK. What were the opinions of Christopher Hitchens and his work in the U.K.?