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Edmund-de-waal
Edmund de Waal

Felicity Bryan Tribute Conversation: Letters to Camondo

Edmund de Waal Interviewed by James Naughtie

Tuesday, 29 March 2022

6:00pm

1 hour

Sheldonian Theatre

£7 - £15

Porcelain artist, potter and author Edmund de Waal and journalist James Naughtie launch a new annual talk in memory of the Oxford literary agent Felicity Bryan by discussing their friendship with her and by discussing de Waal’s new book Letters to Camondo.

De Waal’s book is dedicated to his agent, Felicity Bryan, who founded the Oxford independent literary agency, Felicity Bryan Associates, in 1988. Bryan died in 2020. She was a popular figure in literary circles and a great supporter of the Oxford Literary Festival. De Waal will discuss his friendship with Felicity Bryan before discussing his latest book. Letters to Camondo is an exploration of the collection of French 18th-century art held in the Musée Nissim de Camondo in Paris and of the history of the Camondo family. It is written in the form of letters to Count Moïse de Camondo, who built the collection for his son and heir Nissim. Nissim died in World War I, and the collection was bequeathed to France on the count’s death.

‘Letters to Camondo immerses you in another age . . . de Waal creates a dazzling picture of what it means to live graciously’ Financial Times

De Waal is known for his large-scale installations of porcelain vessels, which have been exhibited across the world. His family memoir, The Hare with Amber Eyes, won many awards and was an international bestseller. He is also author of The White Road, a portrait of his lifelong obsession with porcelain.

Naughtie was also represented by Felicity Bryan. He is best known as presenter of BBC Radio Four’s World at One and then of the Today Programme. His books include The Rivals, a portrait of the Blair-Brown relationship, the political thrillers, The Madness of July  and Paris Spring, and the political travel memoir, On the Road: Adventures from Nixon to Trump.

Event in association with

University of Oxford European Union Supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the UK Bodleian Libraries Festival cultural partner Oxford Martin School Festival ideas partner Oxford Mathematics Spanish Embassy The Spanish Embassy: supporters of the programme of Spanish literature and culture Spain Arts and Culture Cervantes Institute, London The Cervantes Institute, London elBullifoundation
 

The Oxford Literary Festival sponsors, donors & partners

The Telegraph Festival media partner University of Oxford European Union Supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the UK Bodleian Libraries Festival cultural partner Oxford Martin School Festival ideas partner Oxford Mathematics Spanish Embassy The Spanish Embassy: supporters of the programme of Spanish literature and culture Spain Arts and Culture Cervantes Institute, London The Cervantes Institute, London elBullifoundation Embassy of Peru Embassy of Peru Embassy of Chile in the UK Embassy of Chile Iberia British Airways Embassy of the Dominican Republic Embassy of the Dominican Republic Institut Ramon Llull Promoting Catalan culture and language worldwide Blackwell’s Festival on-site and online bookseller Symington Wines of the Douro Valley HM Government of Gibraltar Sotheby’s Compassion in World Farming Pasture to Plate Oxford Business College Where learning meets opportunity: education partners of the festival Old Bank Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Old Parsonage Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Oxford Brookes University Oxford International Centre for Publishing Gravita Accountants to the festival Confucius Institute Voltaire Foundation Felicity Bryan Associates Goldmoney Properties Princeton University Press Prestige publishing partner. Celebrating 25 years in Europe in 2024 Oxford University Department for Continuing Education Jewish Book Week Partner of Oxford Literary Festival Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize Jim Mellon Miles Young Tim and Marion Stevenson Martin and Elise Becket Smith Ian and Carol Sellars David Isaac Mary and Cecil Quillen Supporters of the programme of American literature and culture Other donors Yale University Press London New College New College founded 1379 Exeter College Exeter College: college home of the festival. Founded 1314 Worcester College Worcester College founded 1714 Lincoln College Lincoln College founded 1427 Trinity College Trinity College founded 1555 Magdalen College Magdalen College founded 1458 Brasenose College Brasenose College founded in 1512 Reuben College Reuben College founded in 2019 Harris Manchester College Harris Manchester College founded 1893 Pusey House Founded 1884 New Dutch Writing Human Ecology Project MACROVegan Bear Ram Elk Festival Digital Strategy & Web Design Racalia Olive Oil Olive oil from Sicily Paul Bloomfield Ltd University of Oxford Alumni Office Alumni Office The Sheldonian Theatre Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Oxford University Images Oxford University Images CAV Oxford The Litmus Partnership Schoolreaders Science Oxford Windrush Group The Oxford Times Italian Cultural Institute BBC Radio Oxford Local radio partner Conference Oxford Ox in a Box OX magazine Africa programme American programme