Professor David Peimer
Roger Federer: What Makes a Hero Today?
Summary
In 2011, Roger Federer was voted number 2 by the Reputation Institute’s study of the world’s most respected, admired and trusted personalities, just behind Nelson Mandela.
Roger Federer seems from another era, a time when ‘heroic’ had a meaning. In this session we will look at Federer and other contemporary heroic figures and ask the question: what makes a hero today? Charisma? Courage in the face of adversity? Or is it as Hemingway put it, “courage is grace under pressure”?
Professor David Peimer
David Peimer is a Professor of Literature, Film and Theatre in the UK. He has worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, New York University (Global Division) and was a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University. Born in South Africa, David has won numerous awards for playwriting and directing in New York, UK, Berlin, EU Parliament (Brussels), Athens, Budapest, Zululand and more. He has most recently directed Dame Janet Suzman in his own play, Joanna’s Story, at London Jewish Book Week. He has published widely with books including: Armed Response: Plays from South Africa, the digital book, Theatre in the Camps. He is on the board of the Pinter Centre (London), and has been involved with the Mandela Foundation, Vaclav Havel Foundation and directed a range of plays at Mr Havel’s Prague theatre.