John Abeles

Norman Geras, a deeply dear friend from Bulawayo, passed away earlier today in Cambridge, England…

He became a prominent, thinking, Leftist political philosopher, an authority on Marxism, the Holocaust, Antisemitism and Crimes of Humanity.

He had a hugely generous mind, and later, after retirement, became a popular bloggist at normblog whose writings on politics—always original, often controversial, even criticising the failings as he saw them of the Left — on country music and jazz, on literature and especially on cricket and football—indeed on a panoply of subjects in skillfully crafted vignettes, became obsessive reading..

Norman’s passing is a shattering loss to us all.

To describe him as a Great and Good man doesn’t sum it up adequately. Norman Geras was loved and respected by thousands through all his astute and amusing writings, and adored by his friends and family…

To those who really knew him and loved him—his family and friends—his ineffable, deep wisdom, huge knowledge, splendid humour, vast kindness and humaneness, unbridled musicality, robust sport-loving joy, were marks of an extraordinary character—a truly Renaissance Man…

I love him—still—like a brother and have been long graced and inspired in my life by knowing him and his tolerant attitudes.

I hope the pain of losing him will not linger more than it should for his close ones, and that then deep thanks be given for his truly meaningful life and its full enrichment of ours…

I wish all of you Long and Sweet Lives!