What was it really like at the TLS party?

A reader in Paris, reading online about our TLS summer party, asks what it was like, who was there, why did we have it in somewhere called the Foundling Museum, and did everyone watch the Euro 2008 soccer semi-finals on a big screen.

The last question is easily answered. There were no TV screens for Spain vs Russia at the TLS summer party last night. There was Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, author of The Spanish Armada, and Geoffrey Hosking, author of Russia and the Russians instead.

Sir Tom Stoppard, Clive James  and Paul Johnson were with us to keep what little was known of the score . Original scores by Handel were also on show. There was no half-time music from TLS contributors, composer Thomas Ades or tenor Ian Bostridge but much admiring of the museum's magnificent Hogarths, including that of its founder Thomas Coram (above).

Gordon Burn, author of Football, Fame and Oblivion, preferred to talk about Cherie Blair. The Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm may or may not have supported the boys from Moscow. There was much rough tackling among the many who thought their own books had been roughly reviewed this year. Diana Melly was looking hard for the one critic who had written a harsh thing about George.

But don't trust my account. This how the Guardian's 'Monkey' diarist saw it.

"Monkey has never seen so many rumpled linen suits gathered in one location as last night at the Times Literary Supplement summer party. Editor Peter Stothard held court; as did News International executive director James MacManus, who has written a book of his own, Ocean Devil. Bel Mooney and her husband Robin were in attendance, as was Ferdinand Mount.

The evening was also populated by obvious literary giants with crazy hair and shirts hanging out. Sunday Times editor John Witherow tipped up, as did dashing Times editor James Harding, fresh from his Daily Show triumph, before roaring off in his hybrid Lexus RX400H 4x4. But did James notice his star columnist Giles Coren rather noisily kissing his girlfriend in full view of everyone at the front of the marquee? Alas, Monkey was unable to get close enough to discern if there were tongues."

The Evening Standard saw things slightly differently.

"BOOKISH luminaries of London turned out in force for the Times Literary Supplement party at the Foundling Museum near Russell Square last night. Tom Stoppard, Martin Amis and Clive James (above) all departed early, the latter futilely searching for the smoking area. A. N. Wilson, meanwhile, was discussing his troubles with his forthcoming work - having 25 pages of problems cited to him by his lawyer for the new tome. New Times editor James Harding, stuck with his new brand by staying at the TLS party, resisting the temptation to slope off to socialise with his former employers, The Financial Times, which held its party on the same evening".

Why the Foundling Museum?

It is a very extraordinary place - and near our new offices.

Red-wine-drinkers and smokers had to slip away outside into a marquee away from the Handel manuscript collection and the Hogarth portraits.

We all had to be more than usually careful of these reminders of the days when the party-goers of London attended fashionable fund-raisers at the hospital, exhibitions and concerts for the Foundlings' cause.

Some social historians among us argued that the Foundlings were kept as cannon-fodder for future British armies.

Others retold softer stories of the days when women brought their unwanted babies to the front door, drew lots to see if they could leave them, and, if successful, left a token by which they might recognise them on return.

And thus passed the 2008 TLS summer party.

Comments

[Bark Pamphlet]

Look at Clive James - he's taken on the mottled brown colour of a twiglet!

Were they served as nibbles and did James stuff his Ozzie chops with the knobbly, marmitey swines?

[Andrew Kenneally]

Stoppard's not bad, but Gordon Burn(Brown?) was right in apparently intuiting that Cherie Blair is the true literary giant, or even giantess, of the age.
I hear she's read lots of books too, which makes it even better.

[Candadai Tirumalai]

Hogarth's connection with the Foundling Hospital was quite close. Not only did he and other artists have their annual gathering there but Hogarth and his wife assisted in the care of some Foundlings in Chiswick, where they lived.

[Tasha Alexander]

Susan, I couldn't agree more. Next opportunity that presents itself let's crash together and head straight for Stoppard...

[Gorilla Bananas]

I don't know whether you had a limbo dancing contest, but if you did the bar must have been set very high for that guest list. In the case of Clive James, above head height.

http://japingape.blogspot.com/

[Susan Balée]

Sounds like a great party to me. I would love to have crashed it and chatted up Tom Stoppard. I've read and/or seen all of his plays -- he's the dramatic genius of our era, without a doubt. Also one of the only playwrights I know whose scripts are as good -- or even better -- on the page than on the stage. There's not a lot actors can do to improve his lines, whereas with other playwrights (David Hare comes to mind), it's just the reverse: the actors often make the play, *despite* problems in the script.