Michael Gove writes: The Spectator asks only one thing of its writers: that they entertain. Susanna Gross, who wrote our bridge column in this space for 25 years, never failed. She played the game expertly, and with panache, representing England in international competitions. But formidable as her skills at the table were, she was even more accomplished as a writer. And unforgettable as a friend.
Susanna made every encounter memorable. Over cards or drinks, in these pages, or during her time as literary editor of the Mail on Sunday, she was captivating. She had an unerring eye, both for opponents’ weaknesses during play, and for the quirks of character which illuminate the human condition.
Susanna was rapier sharp and witty, but also unaffectedly warm and loving and unsparingly honest
And that is what made her bridge column, and her presence, so addictive. She was rapier sharp and witty, but also unaffectedly warm and loving, unsparingly honest, not least about herself, and unsparingly generous with her time for others. She loved to introduce beginners to the pleasures of bridge and loved even more the hearts she won so freely.
Susanna died on Tuesday after an illness she bore with great humour and bravery. It is unbearably sad to lose her so young. Her husband John, her children Joseph and Milly, her brother Tom and mother Miriam will miss her terribly. And so will we at The Spectator.
Boris Johnson writes: Susanna was already a very highly rated bridge correspondent when I took over at The Spectator, though I have to admit I came under some pressure to make a change. There were plenty of other people who thought they could do the job, and since I knew nothing about bridge I wasn’t able to judge her work. How could anyone so young and so funny know anything about this fiendishly difficult game? How could she possibly be more skilful than the middle-aged men who were begging to take over?
There was a brief period when I wasn’t quite sure what to do, but only very brief because I soon grasped quite how distinguished she was, and how lucky we were to have her. She did know far more about the game than any of her conceivable rivals for the job and she played better than all of them.
Above all, she wrote better than all of them. It is the supreme gift of a specialist columnist to keep you reading even if you are apathetic about the subject, and I always read her down to the diagram (when I admitted defeat). It takes charm and genius to lure in the lay reader week after week; Susanna had both in spades. Or trumps, or both.
Comments