LIVE from NYPL: JAN MORRIS AT 80 in conversation with Paul Holdengräber

AROUND THE WORLD IN 50 YEARS
To celebrate the 80th birthday of Jan Morris, Paul Holdengräber will conversationally ramble with the writer through some of the matters that have preoccupied her during a long life. For example: patriotism, dislike of concerts, Norwegian Forest Cats, the practice of travel, marmalade vs grape jelly, Venice vs Trieste, connoisseurship (ugh!), intellectualism (yuk!), 57 years of a curious friendship, 53 years of visiting NY, the British Empire, the superiority of small countries (notably Wales), journalism at Mount Everest, death, glories and agonies of family life, the power of kindness. And anything else that comes into their minds.

About Jan Morris

Jan Morris was born in 1926 to a Welsh father and an English mother, and lived and wrote in the persona of James Morris before completing a change of sexual role in 1972. After four years in the British Army, and a degree course at Oxford, she spent five years as a foreign correspondent for the London Times, and five more for the old Manchester Guardian, before leaving journalism for the writing of books. She has published some 40 works of history, travel, autobiography and fiction, is a Commander of the Order of the British Empire and lives in Wales with her lifelong friend Elizabeth, in close touch with their four children and seven grandchildren.

About Paul Holdengräber

Paul Holdengräber is the Director of Public Programs - now known as "LIVE from the NYPL" - for The Research Libraries of The New York Public Library.