Buggerit. Clive James packing for the big departure lounge in the sky

[SerialKipper]

Clive James: 'I'm getting near the end'.

Just wanted to say, Thanks mate, the world's been a better, funnier, warmer place for you being in it.

(And it's not like he's gonna read MN, but it's still better to say it while he's still around than wait till he's not.)

That's a lovely thing to say, SK.

I really hope Clive reads it - couldn't have put it better myself.

Agree wholeheartedly. Hopefully Mr James has years to go but I would like to add my best wishes too. Leukaemia & COPD - debilitating to say the least.

Clive James: very funny, very intelligent man. many a happy hour spent listening and laughing in this house ....and probably for all my life..

I love Clive James and his memoirs are among my favourite books; I have read them all several times. I loved Cultural Amnesia too.

I really hope he doesn't peg it anytime soon.

A truly very funny man, a brilliant writer. I too saw that and am very sad.

Oh what a shame

What a shame, I didn't realise he'd been so ill.

This is very sad. I love Clive James too .

That's sad. A very funny, charming man.

I love Clive James. I will be forever grateful for the songs beautiful stranger and girl on a train.

how sad, i loved his programmes :(

New Year has been pants for years now. Thanks for your nice post Kipper.

It was clear reading his Telegraph columns that he'd been pretty ill. Though reading the whole article, it sounds as if he may be sitting in the departure lounge for some time...

OP - my thoughts exactly.
Hope he reads this.
I loved watching him on TV. Witty, charming man.

Love Unreliable Memoirs. Agree wholeheartedly with Kipper.

Lovely thought, and have myself enjoyed his wit and observation for many years. How much smarter he is than many of today's so-called comics, and did anyone see him on some TV quiz show demonstrating his knowledge of aircraft? An astonishing well of information.

Off to read the article.

lovely man always liked him

Here's hoping his remaining time will be as enjoyable and pain-free as possible.

He brightened up my life no end with his wit, observation and humour.

Clive James has been part of my mental map for years. I remember him introducing the ITV programme "Cinema" for some time - late 60s early 70s.
I've read most of his fiction and all of his autobiographical stuff - what a wordsmith.

A couple years ago I saw him talk to a packed house here in Melbourne, and what I really liked was that he did the same talk at the far less groovy, more in the sticks Frankston a couple of days later; real egalitarianism.

Now he's going to die, his face is more in the press here, though I've noticed since I've lived here the resentment against him (and Germaine Greer) for choosing to live in England, still simmers.

Good on yer, Clive.

nooooo

this is very sad news

I used to work in Frankston, as an aside

I'm just about to listen to this: Meeting Myself Coming Back

I listened to "Meeting Myself ..." and also to "Even As We Speak" on R4 Extra. Have been a fan of Clive James for years - he is an amazing and witty writer - and admire him very much now for being so frank with absolutely no self-pity! It's very sad that he can't get back to Oz now.

Thanks, Mr. James, for your wonderful essays and poems!

He is just so utterly brilliant. I vividly remember reading his book from my local library when i was a young teen (back in the 1980s) and jut laughing and laughing. SUCH a clever, funny man.

I didn't know. That is very sad and I'm sorry to hear it.