Kwame Kweh will read a letter from Leonard Cohen to close the proceedings tonight. It was sent by Marianne when she told her best friend, who hadn't been in contact for over 40 years at all: "Can you let Leonard know? And I hope this reaches you in time because I'm not sure she's going to last the night" He said like Marianne is here with me. She's dying. Dearest Marianne, I'm just a little behind you, close enough to take your hand. This whole body has given up as yours has to and the eviction notices on its way any day now. See you down the road. Endless love and gratitude.
Letters grant us a glimpse into fascinating lives, whether through the eyes of a genius, a monster or of an ordinary person. For this archive event, we matched up award-winning historian Simon Sebag Montefiore and No 1 bestselling novelist Kate Mosse to discuss the letters of Michelangelo, Catherine the Great, Sarah Bernhardt, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Virginia Woolf, Alan Turing and more. A cast of performers including Young Vic director Kwame Kwei-Armah, plus actors Jade Anouka, Jack Lowden and Tamsin Greig provided readings live onstage.
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