All Things Georgette

Stephen Fry and Georgette Heyer

THE ENTERTAINER

A few years ago I heard Stephen Fry speak on stage in Melbourne. It was a one-man show and he just stood on stage and talked. Sound boring? It was anything but. It was one of the most compelling and entertaining shows I’ve ever been to. What struck me most was his incredible erudition. The man just knew so much about so much. That night I left the theatre feeling totally uplifted because he’d kept 2,500 people utterly enthralled for nearly two hours just by speaking intelligently to them.

Stephen Fry Photo Credit: Sickchirpse.com
Stephen Fry (Photo Credit: Sickchirpse.com)

WONDERFUL WORDS

I met him briefly after the show and gave him a copy of my book Georgette Heyer’s Regency World. His eyes lit up when he saw the title. ‘Georgette Heyer!’ he cried and leapt forward to take the book. Turns out he’s a huge Heyer fan, which is not really surprising. She was a highly intelligent woman with an extraordinary grasp of her subject – the Regency. He’s a highly intelligent man with a love of the period. She wrote brilliant dialogue replete with Regency cant and period vocabulary. He has an extraordinary way with words – both verbal and written. They both have a passion and an energy that shines through in their writing. You can see what I mean here.

Stephen Fry unveils Georgette Heyer's Blue Plaque
Stephen Fry unveils Georgette Heyer’s Blue Plaque

A GREAT EVENT

In 2015 I met Stephen Fry again, this time in Wimbledon. English Heritage had honoured Georgette Heyer with a coveted Blue Plaque and Stephen Fry was unveiling it. We both made a speech – I about her life and achievements, he about her wonderful writing. Once again he was charming, urbane, intelligent and erudite. He spoke without notes because he didn’t need them and his pleasure in the occasion was evident in every word as you can see here.

That day Stephen Fry magnificently fulfilled my long-held ambition to see Georgette Heyer properly recognised for her literary achievements. It was epic!

Sharing the day with Stephen Fry and Susie Rougier and Jeremy Rougier
Sharing the day with Stephen Fry and Susie Rougier and Jeremy Rougier

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Stephen Fry

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The acclaimed author of Georgette Heyer’s Regency World and Georgette Heyer: Biography of a Bestseller debuts with her first adult novel.

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10 thoughts on “Stephen Fry and Georgette Heyer”

  1. Jennifer, when I first heard about your book on NPR I immediately ordered it. I read it start to finish and have passed it around to friends and family. We were geeky for weeks afterwards using cant terms and curious vocabulary!!! Love it.

  2. Melinda Bargreen

    How lovely! It seems all the best people are Georgette Heyer fans … it is great to hear and see this tribute.

  3. Lori Mulligan Davis

    Jennifer Kloester, all the work you’ve done to shed light on GH, her craft, and the time periods of her novels made this honor so appropriate. I am glad you could share the stage with Stephen Fry and would love to thank you in person one day.

  4. I saw Mr. Fry in a “Bones,” once and found his pronunciation and acting much above the regular actors on the show. I didn’t get his name at the time so I thank you both for the tribute to GH but also giving the information about Mr. Fry.

  5. Love to hear him tossing off the slang and cant as everyday phraseology. Thank you for this lovely tidbit.

    1. He’s great, isn’t he? And his enthusiasm for Heyer shines through. The Blue Plaque unveiling was a great occasion and I shall always be proud that I initiated it. Georgette being acknowledged in that wat remains one of the highlights of my life.

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