A Fascinating Life - and a Love Story

If anyone could be said to have lived a full life, it is Jan Morris, who is the
guest on this month's Book Club on BBC Radio 4, talking about her
delicious book "Venice" which captures the Spirit of Place like few other
books can. As a confirmed Venetophile, the programme was a delight to
listen to  for me - you can hear it again on Radio 4 on Thursday 5th June 2008 at
4 pm or "Listen again"  after Thursday by following the links on the Book
Club page - hopefully you can do this outside the UK as well!

 

But besides the pleasure of listening to someone with a true love of Venice
talk about their passion for half an hour, there was a delightful revelation at
the end of the programme. For those of you who don't listen to the whole
show, Jan alludes to the fact that she was born as James Morris, already
an accomplished journalist when he scooped  the news, which was
announced on Coronation Day, of the successful attempt by Edmund
Hilary and Sherpa Tenzing on the ascent of Everest.

He then went on to have gender re-assignment - but not before he had
fathered five children with his wife Elizabeth. As a result of his re-
assignment, they divorced (seems to have been a legal requirement - I'm
not sure of the details) - but he and Elizabeth continued to live happily
together until the present day. The happy news on the programme was
that, just a week ago, as a result of the highly civilised law which now
pertains in the UK, Jan and Elizabeth were legally (re)-joined in a Civil
Union.

Seems that their hearts have been joined for nearly 60 years - the law just
took a little time to catch up - isn't it a pleasing story?

Read everything of Jan Morris's that you can lay your hands on - for history, travel, erudition, scene setting and story-telling, you will not be disappointed.

(Image of JM taken from Paul Greenhill's book on Jan Morris from the "Writers of Wales" series - no affiliation)