Fame and Fortune with Frederic Raphael

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Fame and Fortune with Frederic Raphael

01 Feb 2009

Speakers: Tom Conti, Frederic Raphael

Introduced by Lucy Silver, and chaired by Brian Cheyette, Frederic Raphael discusses his books The Glittering Prizes (1976), subsequently made into a tv series, and the follow-up Fame and Fortune (2008), which heralds the return of the arrogant protagonist Adam Morris. He is joined by Tom Conti, who played the part of Morris in the original television series.

Conti discusses how his childhood growing up in Scotland alongside Jews helped him in his role as Adam Morris. He discusses Morris’s anger, his attempts to contain it, and how, in his own experience, fear diminishes ability. He also explains the pressure and responsibility involved in playing the part of a character who is still very much alive.

Frederic Raphael shares some of his anecdotes and life philosophy. He begins by looking at Jews: the ideas and prejudices that surround them; the division between Jews from different places; their intellectual battles with Christians; and the vanity that persuades Jews that they are exempt from criticism in the context of Israel. He also discusses anti-semitism, how and where it is found and ways in which one can react to it.

Raphael discusses the English language, before moving on to consider egotism through artists like Raphael, Mirandi and Giacometti. According to Raphael artists do not get better as they get older, they only learn to edit well. Frederic Raphael divulges overheard conversations between great figures and sheds light on his meetings with celebrated writers and directors, from Harold Pinter and Stanley Kubrick to Alan Clarke and Robin Day.