A Taste of Wonder

Richard, Tomas, and Peter

The large theater hall was filled with people from far beyond Antwerp and even Belgium. At first glance, they might not have seemed any different from the usual theatre junkies, but it was undoubtedly a peculiar gathering of characters. What we anticipated that night was far removed from traditional art forms — no drama or comedy, no music, and certainly no dancing. We had come for something else entirely: the art of wonder. We were all there to see and hear Prof. Richard Dawkins.

The event was part of his world tour promoting his latest book, The Genetic Book of the Dead. Many of us ordered the book along with the tickets, so the foyer of the theatre building was filled with people proudly clutching the fresh blue hardcover.

I'll never forget the moment I visited the restroom. One of the men there was leafing through his copy of the new book. That seemed slightly out of place in a public toilet, but what made the scene truly priceless was the fact that he held the book using both hands. Standing shoulder to shoulder with other men at the row of urinals, he was utterly absorbed in the scientific piece he was paging through — comically detached from the bodily function he was performing below!

Rather than a lecture, it was organized as a discussion with the host, Peter Boghossian. It was delightful to see them interacting on stage — so cultivated, witty, and sharp. Stories, memories, anecdotes. Bits of real wisdom. The audience was captivated.

At the very end, after a few well-managed questions from the audience and the final bows, there was a long, heartwarming applause. Most of the aficionados gradually filtered out, but the first two rows of die-hards remained seated. They formed a group allowed to "meet and greet" Professor Dawkins and get an autograph. I was one of them.

I came prepared with a copy of his book The God Delusion — my favorite work by Dawkins—and, of course, The Genetic Book of the Dead.

I was thrilled to meet him in person. Although I had many questions, I felt too much respect to bother him with any of them. All I wanted was to shake his hand and thank him for his work. He was incredibly kind and polite. I got an autograph in the first book and then asked him to sign the second one — but not for me. This one was dedicated to my children, out of a sincere hope that they would grow up inspired to think critically and scientifically about the world around them. He smiled warmly as he wrote down the names of my two sons.

I felt so honoured.

Tomáš Fülöpp

Antwerpen, Belgium

November 9, 2024