Stephen Fry Talks J.K. Rowling, Comedy & Mental Health at Cambridge Union

May 04, 2017

Posted by: Emma Pocock

Audio Books, Books, Fry, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Philosophers / Sorcerers Stone, Interviews, J.K. Rowling, News

Last week, UK Harry Potter audiobook reader Stephen Fry spoke at Cambridge Union as one of their Easter term guests on his experience with bipolar disorder, comedy, and even speaks about his friendship with J.K. Rowling.

Fry said that his favourite of the Potter books was The Goblet of Fire, and told of how he couldn’t say ‘Harry pocketed it’ during his time narrating Philosopher’s / Sorcerer’s Stone, calling J.K. Rowling to ask if she could change the wording to make it easier on him. She said no, and added the phrase to every other book!

He spoke about working with Emma Thompson (Prof. Trelawney) in his younger years in the Cambridge Footlights, saying that the creative atmosphere at Cambridge University allowed him the space to work on a career in comedy:

“We knew we were lucky, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson and I when we joined the Footlights. We saw all the Pythons and various other people on the walls of the clubhouse and thought that that door had been closed; we thought that’ll never happen again.”

“I did plays with Emma Thompson in my first two years, and then she introduced me to to Hugh and Hugh and we just naturally started to write together.” 

(Photo: Credit: Alisa Molotova/Getty Images)

(Photo: Credit: Alisa Molotova/Getty Images)

Fry discussed mental health, and the fact that ‘one size fits all’ doesn’t apply to treatment of disorders, nor does it explain how individual mental health problems are, having different impacts on different people:

“Bipolar or anxiety disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder will play differently with different people’s different attributes and different feelings. I suppose one must use the affection you have for someone and try and figure out what they’d best respond to. “

Read more on his talk here. Hay Festival president Stephen Fry will be appearing at the annual BBC Hay Festival this year in Hay-on-Wye (May 25th – June 1st) to celebrate literature and arts. He will host a debate about the internet for BBC Arts Digital, where you can catch the opening weekend of the festival being livestreamed.

Other guests include:

“Peter Singer, Neil Gaiman, Elif Shafak, Nemat Shafik, Tracey Emin, Michael Sheen, Brian May, Graham Norton, Eddie Izzard, Jeanette Winterson, Howard Jacobson, Yanis Varoufakis, Paul Beatty, Carlo Rovelli, Jacqueline Wilson, Judith Kerr and Chris Riddell.”

Read more here, and visit the official website to book tickets here.





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.