I was very
shocked to hear of Shusha’s death last week. I had no idea she was ill – I hadn’t been
following the press much recently. I’ve known her for over twenty years but
live far away and so when uncharacteristically she hadn’t responded to a couple
of e-mails over the past couple of months or so, I’d assumed that she was just
visiting her family in South Africa or something like that. And then, the other
day I came across an obituary. My condolences to her family.
She has
always been very supportive of my work and of me personally - I’ll always
remember the lovely letter she wrote to me after my own mother died. Her music
– she had the richest, most sonorous and emotive voice I have ever heard – that
elegant distillation, suffused with humanity, of Persian, French and English
philosophy, letters and music, combined with her engaged, affable and very
Sufi-like persona contributed in some way to my becoming a writer. She was a
hugely talented woman and was unique. ... (more)
