Happy Birthday, Tom Stoppard! (VIDEO + PICTURES)

Happy Birthday, Tom Stoppard!

Today, 3 July, is playwright and dramatist Sir Tom Stoppard's birthday.

And what better way to wish him a wonderful day than with a thoroughly inspiring video, of him musing on what it was like to be first published?

We imagine that at the point he describes, in the 60s, Stoppard had no idea of the prolific career that was ahead of him, or that he'd be writing numerous critically-acclaimed plays (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Arcadia are particular favourites) and picking up an Oscar for the screenplay of Shakespeare in Love.

For all of us aspiring writers and playwrights, we can watch this video and dream. Maybe while Stoppard is watching it, hopefully with a slice of suitably theatrical birthday cake, and hopefully not cringing too much at the relevations he tells the camera "not to tell anyone".

We've also got some brilliant photos of the theatre legend and his publications from the Faber and Faber archive.

Happy Birthday!

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