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16/12/2011
Writer, Author and Arguer Christopher Hitchens Dies
Enigmatic British author and writer Christopher Hitchens has died as a result of his long battle with cancer.
The Vanity Fair journalist, who was known for his uncooperative and immutable views, died from pneumonia after developing a complication of the oesophageal cancer he had long suffered.
In a stirring obituary on Friday morning, Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter described Hitchens as "a man of insatiable appetites—for cigarettes, for scotch, for company, for great writing, and, above all, for conversation."
Hitchens' writing had whisked the ire of all sides of the political spectrum, often by holding seemingly contradictory and unexpected perspectives that taunted mainstream thought.
A leading critic of Mother Teresa, supporter of the Iraq war, fervent opponent to all religion, former socialist and brother of conservative Mail On Sunday journalist Peter Hitchens, Christopher's prolific writings ignited debate and duelled with controversy.
The MP Denis McShane, who studied at Oxford with Mr Hitchens, described him as a "cross between Voltaire and Orwell".
Speaking on Radio Four's Today programme on Friday morning, Mr McShane said: "He would drink a bottle of whisky when I would manage two glasses of wine and then be up in the morning writing 1,000 perfect words.
"He could throw words up into the sky, they fell down in a marvellous pattern."
Christopher Hitchens died aged 62 in a Texas hospital in his adopted home of America. He continued writing until the last days before his death.
(DW)
The Vanity Fair journalist, who was known for his uncooperative and immutable views, died from pneumonia after developing a complication of the oesophageal cancer he had long suffered.
In a stirring obituary on Friday morning, Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter described Hitchens as "a man of insatiable appetites—for cigarettes, for scotch, for company, for great writing, and, above all, for conversation."
Hitchens' writing had whisked the ire of all sides of the political spectrum, often by holding seemingly contradictory and unexpected perspectives that taunted mainstream thought.
A leading critic of Mother Teresa, supporter of the Iraq war, fervent opponent to all religion, former socialist and brother of conservative Mail On Sunday journalist Peter Hitchens, Christopher's prolific writings ignited debate and duelled with controversy.
The MP Denis McShane, who studied at Oxford with Mr Hitchens, described him as a "cross between Voltaire and Orwell".
Speaking on Radio Four's Today programme on Friday morning, Mr McShane said: "He would drink a bottle of whisky when I would manage two glasses of wine and then be up in the morning writing 1,000 perfect words.
"He could throw words up into the sky, they fell down in a marvellous pattern."
Christopher Hitchens died aged 62 in a Texas hospital in his adopted home of America. He continued writing until the last days before his death.
(DW)
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Supermarket group Somerfield has been ordered to sell 12 stores, following an investigation by the Competition Commission (CC). The investigation into Somerfield’s purchase of 115 stores from Morrisons last year was prompted by fears of a “substantial lessening” of competition in 12 local grocery retail markets in the UK.
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