Clive James says being alive is 'embarrassing' one year after predicting his death from leukaemia
The 76-year-old says he may have painted himself into a corner by predicting when he'd die
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Clive James has confessed feeling embarrassment over being alive one year after predicting his imminent death from terminal leukaemia.
In a piece published in The Guardian, James reflects on a poem he wrote for the New Yorker last year titled Japanese Maple, in which he stated, confidently, that he would be dead before the maple tree in his garden lost its leaves in autumn.
But now he says he fears he has “written himself into a corner”.
“Winter arrived, there has been a whole other summer, and now the maple is just starting to do its flaming thing all over again, with me shyly watching,” he writes.
The 76-year-old author is writing a weekly column for the newspaper on living with leukaemia.
“This supposedly fatal thing I’ve got doesn’t hurt, and on the whole I feel more old than sick,” he said.
“Feeling old can have its own style. I shuffle quite dynamically. It can get tough, though, when you see the young fizzing with the same energy that you once wasted.”
James also reveals his fondness for The Great British Bake Off, describing it as "Formula One with cars you can eat".
He also says he is a bit fan of winner Nadiya Hussein, calling her "charming" and "a star of tomorrow."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments