Ryszard Kapuscinski

There is an article on the writings of Ryszard Kapuscinski, the Polish journalist/travel writer, by Chris Bird in Slightly Foxed, No. 18 Summer 2008.

From the essay:

"His travels sometimes came to a halt when his pieces went against the political creed of the day. But near the end of his life, he was declared Poland's 'Journalist of the century'. In a speech in 2003, Kapuscinski looked to the Greek historian Herodotus as his model for opening up the world to others:

Herodotus comes across as a man open and full of good will toward others, making contact with strangers easily, curious about the world, investigative, hungry for knowledge . . . His attitude and bearing show reporters what is essentially important to a reporter: respect for another man, his dignity and worth. He listens carefully to his heartbeat, and the way thoughts cross his mind.

The gently spoke writer could not have better summarized his own work."