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The Life of Brian

Dear fellow friends of Brian,

Many of you will have received Tim Evans’ email below with a message from Brian Micklethwait telling us that he has lung cancer. Brian asks that we boost his morale by telling him if and how we have been inspired or influenced by what he has written, said, or done.

Since several of us at the IEA have been inspired by Brian, we would like to invite you to celebrate ‘the life of Brian’ Micklethwait on the evening of Friday September 3rd, at the Institute of Economic Affairs, 2 Lord North Street, London SW1P 3LB. The event will be from 6pm to 8pm, but you are welcome to stay on until Brian decides to go home. Consider it a special edition of Brian’s Fridays, with Brian being the topic rather than the host.

If you are able to attend, please can you reply to VIPEvents@iea.org.uk so we know numbers in advance. If we have more than the maximum capacity of the IEA, we may have to seek another venue.

Please save the date in your diary and forward this email to fellow friends of Brian who are not in Tim’s distribution list below.

Can I also ask for a volunteer who would be willing to be the recipient of photos and short videos of Brian as well as video messages from those unable to join us, so that these can be shown on the evening.

We will send further details over the next few weeks. In the meantime, please do keep emailing and/or phoning Brian and writing about him. I know Brian is looking forward to us all joining him on September 3rd.

Best wishes,

Professor Syed Kamall, Institute of Economic Affairs

15 comments to The Life of Brian

  • Paul Marks

    I will be there.

    Brian has stood for liberty – and also for Common Sense. Some of us, myself included, are apt be the like the bird in “Carry On Up The Jungle” reasoning ourselves up our own.., but that was never true of Mr Brian Micklethwait.

    As for “The Life of Brian” – naughty he has not been. Loyal, decent and honourable has been, and is, Brian Micklethwait.

  • the last toryboy

    Hey Brian. I mostly lurk on here, have lurked for 20 years. This blog was one of my most formative experiences, at least politically.

    Got diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer 3 years ago. Still here, still asymptomatic mostly. The first few months are awful but eventually some semblance of normality resumes. And medical science has come a long way in oncology in the past 10 years especially.

    Good luck.

  • mike

    Brian’s samizdata posts are always among the best for two reasons; his distinctive voice, or style of writing, particularly in the way he introduces or sets up a topic or bit of news by clever reference and also for his choice of topics – more often than not an unexpected way of looking at an over-discussed problem: new light through old windows. Brian Micklethwait and his writing deserve a better and longer recommendation than this, but unfortunately this is all I have time for early Tuesday morning before I go to work…

  • redcanyongal

    decades-long lurker here

    thank you, Brian, for all your words and thoughts
    from a US libertarian who often comes here for inspriration and encouragement in this world
    carry on!

  • Johnathan Pearce (London)

    I will be there with my wife, Brian. See you in Sept!

  • Thanks for all the kind words everyone.

    JP. Good to know you’ll be there. See you then.

  • Natalie Solent

    I will be there too, along with my husband.

    I got a message saying “Could not connect to the reCAPTCHA service” on previous attempts to post this comment. I am now trying to post it via my Kindle.

  • Paul Marks

    I tried clicking on the link – but I got an “add an account” thing.

  • Which link? There are two. Just sent an email to VIPEvents@iea.org.uk telling them you want to come.

  • Paul Marks

    I get “add an account” on that link as well. I have already said I will be there. I write that two days ago.

    Still, fair enough – I will write down the address (I have a pen and paper) and then send them an e.mail. I will do so now.

  • Paul Marks

    Done it now – as you said Perry, it was no problem at all.

  • Natalie Solent (Essex)

    My problem wasn’t with accepting the invitation – I just emailed Prof. Kamall to do that – it was in posting the comment to Samizdata. The one that eventually made it through at 9:50am was my fourth or fifth try. As I said, I ended up having to post it from my Kindle.

    Now let’s see if this one works!

  • Snorri Godhi

    I wished i could be there!
    Also to meet Paul, Johnathan, and Natalie.
    And assorted others.

  • Chris Cooper

    I’m in. It’s been over four years since I moved to the West Country, out of range of the Master’s Pimlico salon. It’ll be good to see him and some of the other critically rational individualists again.

  • […] Brian’s Friday: the Life of Brian event at the Institute of Economic Affairs tomorrow will be available on Zoom for anyone who cannot attend. Link here. […]