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Ryszard Kapuściński (; 4 March 1932 – 23 January 2007) was a Polish journalist, photographer, poet and author. He received many prestigious awards and was considered a candidate for the
Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...
. Kapuściński's personal journals in book form attracted both controversy and admiration for blurring the conventions of
reportage Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...
with the
allegory As a List of narrative techniques, literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a wikt:narrative, narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political signi ...
and
magical realism Magical realism, magic realism, or marvelous realism is a style or genre of fiction and art that presents a realistic view of the world while incorporating magical elements, often blurring the lines between speculation and reality. ''Magical rea ...
of literature. He was the
Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
-era
Polish Press Agency The Polish Press Agency (, PAP) is Poland's national news agency, producing and distributing political, economic, social, and cultural news as well as events information. It was founded in 1918 as Polish Telegraphic Agency (PAT). PAP serves pri ...
's only correspondent in Africa during
decolonization Decolonization is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby Imperialism, imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. The meanings and applications of the term are disputed. Some scholar ...
, and also worked in South America and Asia. Between 1956 and 1981 he reported on 27 revolutions and coups, until he was fired because of his support for the pro-democracy
Solidarity movement Solidarity or solidarism is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. True solidarity means moving beyond individual identities and single issue politics ...
in his native country. He was celebrated by other practitioners of the genre. The acclaimed Italian reportage-writer Tiziano Terzani, Colombian writer
Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th centur ...
, and Chilean writer Luis Sepúlveda accorded him the title "Maestro". Notable works include ''Jeszcze dzień życia'' (1976; '' Another Day of Life''), about
Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
; ''Cesarz'' (1978; '' The Emperor'', 1983), about the downfall of Ethiopian ruler
Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I (born Tafari Makonnen or ''Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles#Lij, Lij'' Tafari; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as the Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles, Rege ...
, also considered to be a satire of Communist Poland; ''Wojna futbolowa'' (1978; '' The Soccer War'', 1991), an account of the 1969 conflict between Honduras and El Salvador, and other stories from the life of the reporter in Africa and Latin America; ''Szachinszach'' (1982; '' Shah of Shahs'', 2006) about the downfall of the last
Shah of Iran The monarchs of Iran ruled for over two and a half millennia, beginning as early as the 7th century BC and enduring until the 20th century AD. The earliest Iranian king is generally considered to have been either Deioces of the Median dynasty () ...
; ''
Imperium In ancient Rome, ''imperium'' was a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity. It is distinct from '' auctoritas'' and '' potestas'', different and generally inferior types of power in the Roman Republic a ...
'' (1993), an account of his travels through the collapsing Soviet Union; ''Heban'' (1998), later published in English as '' The Shadow of the Sun'' (2001), the story of his years in Africa; and ''Podróże z Herodotem'' (2004; '' Travels with Herodotus''), in which he ponders over relevance of '' The Histories'' by
Herodotus Herodotus (; BC) was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus (now Bodrum, Turkey), under Persian control in the 5th century BC, and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria, Italy. He wrote the '' Histori ...
to a modern reporter's job.


Biography

Ryszard Kapuściński was born in
Pinsk Pinsk (; , ; ; ; ) is a city in Brest Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Pinsk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. It is located in the historical region of Polesia, at the confluence of t ...
(now in
Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
),
Polesie Voivodeship Polesie Voivodeship () was an administrative unit of interwar Poland (1918–1939), named after the historical region of Polesia. It was created by the Council of Ministers of the Second Polish Republic on February 19, 1921, as a result of peac ...
, in the Kresy Wschodnie or eastern borderlands of the
Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I ...
in 1932, the son of Maria Bobka (b. 1910) and Józef Kapuściński (b. 1903), primary school teachers. His sister Barbara was born the following year. They were born into poverty: he would later say that he felt at home in Africa as "food was scarce there too and everyone was also barefoot." In September 1938 Ryszard started attending Primary School No 5 in Pinsk. He spent the summer of 1939 together with his mother and sister in Pawłów, a small village near Rejowiec in
Lublin Voivodeship Lublin Voivodeship ( ) is a Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship (province) of Poland, located in the southeastern part of the country, with its capital being the city of Lublin. The region is named after its largest city and regional capital, Lu ...
. When the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
began in September 1939 they came back to Pinsk after the city was captured by the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
and Ryszard returned to school there. In 1940 Maria, afraid of deportation to the East, together with Ryszard and Barbara left Pinsk and moved to
Sieraków Sieraków () is a town in western Poland with 8,768 inhabitants (2012). Located by the Warta River, it is situated in the Międzychód County in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. Sieraków is known as a holiday destination with well-developed touris ...
, near
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
. There they met Józef. Later the family moved near
Otwock Otwock (Yiddish: אָטוואָצק) is a city in the Masovian Voivodeship in east-central Poland, some south-east of Warsaw, with 43,895 inhabitants (2024). Otwock is part of the Warsaw metropolitan area. It is situated on the right bank of the ...
. Ryszard continued education in primary school in Otwock (1944–45). He described his early life in the book ''
Imperium In ancient Rome, ''imperium'' was a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity. It is distinct from '' auctoritas'' and '' potestas'', different and generally inferior types of power in the Roman Republic a ...
''. In 1945 the family settled in Warsaw where Ryszard began education in
Stanisław Staszic Stanisław Wawrzyniec Staszic (baptised 6 November 1755 – 20 January 1826) was a leading figure in the Polish Enlightenment: a Catholic priest, philosopher, geologist, writer, poet, translator and statesman. A physiocrat, monist, pan-Sla ...
Gymnasium. He became an amateur boxer (
bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports and weightlifting. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class ...
) and football player. In 1948, Kapuściński joined the official Communist youth organisationthe ZMPand served lower rank posts. Kapuściński was the hero of the article published in the weekly periodical ''Odrodzenie'' reporting on a poetry conference organised at his school, in which the teenager's poems were compared with works of Mayakovsky and Wierzyński. In June 1950 he graduated from Gymnasium and started working for the '' Sztandar Młodych'' (The Banner of Youth), a nationwide newspaper founded in 1950 as the organ of the ZMP. In October 1950 he began his studies at
Warsaw University The University of Warsaw (, ) is a public research university in Warsaw, Poland. Established on November 19, 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country, offering 37 different fields of study as well as 100 specializat ...
(Department of Polish Studies) and in 1951 he moved to the department of history after he suspended working for ''Sztandar Młodych'' till 1955. He participated in the Youth Festival in East Berlin staged in August 1951 in
East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
. This was his first foreign trip. From 1952 and till his death Ryszard Kapuściński was married to doctor Alicja Mielczarek (1933–2022). Their daughter Zofia was born in 1953. During the period from 1953 to 1981the year of the imposition of the
martial law in Poland Martial law in Poland () existed between 13 December 1981 and 22 July 1983. The Polish United Workers' Party, government of the Polish People's Republic drastically restricted everyday life by introducing martial law and a military junta in an a ...
Kapuściński was a member of the Polish United Workers' Party (the PZPR). His attitude to the PZPR changed early on, "the decisive moment having come in the year 1956" (presumably a reference to the events of Poznań June and the process of de-Stalinisation brought about by the Thaw of Gomułka, and the
Hungarian Revolution of 1956 The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 4 November 1956; ), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was an attempted countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the policies caused by ...
). In June 1955 he graduated from Warsaw University. After publishing, in September 1955, a critical article about the construction of
Nowa Huta Nowa Huta (, literally "The New Ironworks") is the easternmost district of Kraków, Poland. With more than 200,000 inhabitants, it is one of the most populous areas of the city. Until 1990, the neighbouring districts were considered expansions o ...
, a
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
conurbation built on a site chosen as the "first socialist municipality in Poland", which brought to light the inhuman working and living conditions of the labourers involved in the venture—a story which occasioned consternation before eventually winning favour with the Communist authorities unsure at first how to react to a fault-finding depiction of their pet project by one of their own—Kapuściński was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit at the age of 23. In August 1956 he reported from
Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
and in September he was sent to
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, his first travel outside Europe. He returned via
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
(where he was detained at the airport in
Kabul Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...
) and Moscow. In August 1957 he went for half a year to China (via Tokyo and Hong Kong). He came back to Poland by the
Trans-Siberian Railway The Trans-Siberian Railway, historically known as the Great Siberian Route and often shortened to Transsib, is a large railway system that connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over , it is the longest railway ...
. Beginning with that journey to India undertaken at the age of 24, he travelled across the developing world reporting on wars, coups and revolutions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. He started learning English in India by reading, with the help of a dictionary, a copy of Hemingway's ''
For Whom the Bell Tolls ''For Whom the Bell Tolls'' is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a dynamiter, he is assigned ...
''. He wrote about his first travels to Asia in the book '' Travels with Herodotus''. In 1958 he left ''Sztandar Młodych'' and started working for the
Polish Press Agency The Polish Press Agency (, PAP) is Poland's national news agency, producing and distributing political, economic, social, and cultural news as well as events information. It was founded in 1918 as Polish Telegraphic Agency (PAT). PAP serves pri ...
. Shortly afterwards he also joined the weekly ''
Polityka ''Polityka'' (, ''Politics'') is a centre-left weekly news magazine in Poland. It had a circulation of 95,300 during 2021. ''Polityka'' has a slightly intellectual, socially liberal profile, setting it apart from the more conservative ''Wprost ...
'' (where he worked till 1962). The result of his work for the weekly was the book ''Busz po polsku'' (The Polish Bush) published in 1962, a collection of his articles from the "Polish wilderness" that he went into to relate "the perspectives of forgotten, invisible, marginal people and so to record a living history of those seldom deemed worthy to enter the annals of official history" (in the words of Diana Kuprel, the literary scholar and translator of Kapuściński's works). He was aggrieved at the indifference of the reading public towards the majority of his early books. "Antyciała: z Ryszardem Kapuścińskim rozmawia Andrzej Skworz" (Antibodies: An Interview with Ryszard Kapuściński Conducted by A. Skworz)
''Press'' (monthly magazine), No. 2 (121), February 2006, pp. 25–28. ISSN 1425-9818.
In the late 1950s he went for the first time to Africa (
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
,
Republic of Dahomey The Republic of Dahomey (; ), simply known as Dahomey (), was established on 4 December 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Prior to attaining autonomy, it had been French Dahomey, part of the French Union. On 1 Augu ...
and
Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
). After honing his skills on domestic stories he was later "'responsible' for fifty countries" for the Polish Press Agency in Africa. (Although a correspondent of an official state press agency, he never in his life asked a single question at any press conference that he attended). When he finally returned to Poland, he had lived through twenty-seven revolutions and coups, been jailed 40 times and survived four death sentences. In the English-speaking world, Kapuściński is best known for his reporting from Africa in the 1960s and 1970s, when he witnessed first-hand the end of the European colonial empires on that continent. In 1961 he reported from the
Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo), is a country located on the western coast of Central ...
. He described his escape to
Bujumbura Bujumbura (; ), formerly Usumbura, is the economic capital, largest city and main port of Burundi. It ships most of the country's chief export, coffee, as well as cotton and tin ore. Bujumbura was formerly the country's political capital. In la ...
and subsequent arrest in the book '' The Soccer War''. In the years 1962–65 he lived initially in
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (, ; from ) is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over 7 million people, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in East Africa by population and the ...
and later in
Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...
from where he travelled to other countries in Africa. He came back to Poland for only a few weeks in 1965 but returned to Africa to live in
Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...
and continue reporting. In April 1965 he travelled to
Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
and
Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...
which he later described in the book '' The Shadow of the Sun''. At the end of 1966 he came back to Poland. In April 1967 he went to Central Asia and
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...
. In November the same year he started working as a foreign correspondent in South America, based in
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
. Later he moved to Mexico (1969–72). In 1969 he witnessed war in
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...
which he described in the book '' The Soccer War''. In 1969 he edited and translated from the Spanish ''El diario del Che en Bolivia'', the final literary bequest of
Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...
. Kapuściński analyzed the situation in
Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
after a German diplomat Karl von Spreti was kidnapped. He published his reportage in 1970 entitled ''Dlaczego zginął Karl von Spreti'' (Why Karl von Spreti Died). He returned to Poland in 1972 and later worked for magazines ''Kontynenty'' and ''Kultura''. In September 1975 he went to
Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
after which he published the book '' Another Day of Life''. In 1975 and 1977 he went to
Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
. '' The Emperor'' was written after his travels there. In 1979 he visited his birthplace Pinsk for the first time since 1940. In 1979 he went to Iran to witness the
Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...
. His book '' Shah of Shahs'' deals with this subject and the fall of
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980) was the last List of monarchs of Iran, Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 to 1979. He succeeded his father Reza Shah and ruled the Imperial State of Iran until he was overthrown by the ...
, the last
Shah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...
of
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. In 1980 he witnessed the strikes that took place in
Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...
, Poland. In 1988 two episodes of
Arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
were dedicated to him and his work. He travelled in European and Asian parts of the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
(1989–1992) and witnessed the
dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
. After this experience he wrote ''
Imperium In ancient Rome, ''imperium'' was a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity. It is distinct from '' auctoritas'' and '' potestas'', different and generally inferior types of power in the Roman Republic a ...
''. He was awarded
German Academic Exchange Service The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD; ), founded in 1925, is a joint organization of German universities and student bodies to foster their international relations. Since 1 January 2020, the president has been Joybrato Mukherjee. Organisa ...
scholarship in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
in 1994. In 1999 Kapuściński talked about his life in
VPRO The VPRO (stylized vpro; originally an acronym for ''Vrijzinnig Protestantse Radio Omroep'', lit. 'Liberal Protestant Radio Broadcaster', nowadays known as ''Omroepvereniging VPRO'') is a Netherlands, Dutch Public broadcasting, public broadca ...
in a series of autobiographical interviews with prominent people from the worlds of science, culture and politics. In a 2006 interview with
Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...
, Kapuściński said that he wrote for "people everywhere still young enough to be curious about the world." He was fluent in Polish, English, Russian, Spanish, French and Portuguese. He was visiting professor in
Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
(1970s),
Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...
,
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
, Caracas (1979),
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
(1983),
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
,
Irkutsk Irkutsk ( ; rus, Иркутск, p=ɪrˈkutsk; Buryat language, Buryat and , ''Erhüü'', ) is the largest city and administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. With a population of 587,891 Irkutsk is the List of cities and towns in Russ ...
, London,
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, Mexico (1979), San Sebastian,
Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...
(1988) and
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
. Kapuściński died on 23 January 2007, of a heart attack suffered in a Warsaw hospital where he was being treated for unrelated ailments.


Literary works

From the early 1960s onwards, Kapuściński published books of increasing literary craftsmanship characterized by sophisticated narrative technique, psychological portraits of characters, a wealth of stylization and
metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide, or obscure, clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are usually meant to cr ...
and unusual imagery that serves as means of interpreting the perceived world. Kapuściński's best-known book, '' The Emperor'', concerns itself with the decline of
Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I (born Tafari Makonnen or ''Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles#Lij, Lij'' Tafari; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as the Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles, Rege ...
's anachronistic régime in
Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
. The book's story had a special meaning that was not lost on the people of Poland, especially as dissent against the PZPR was taking root. ''The Emperor'' was also the book that established Kapuściński's reputation in the West. When it appeared in English translation in 1983 it received an immediate critical success. In 1987 the book was adapted by Michael Hastings and Jonathan Miller into a theatre play, produced by the Royal Court Theatre, London. Kapuściński was fascinated by the humanity he found in different worlds and people, as well as the books of these worlds and people: he approached foreign countries first through literature, spending months reading before each trip. He was skilled in listening to the diverse people he met, but he was also capable of "reading" the hidden sense of the scenes he encountered: the way the Europeans moved out of
Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
, a discussion regarding
alimony Alimony, also called aliment (Scotland), maintenance (England, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Canada, New Zealand), spousal support (U.S., Canada) and spouse maintenance (Australia), is a legal obligation on a person to provide ...
in the Tanganyikan parliament, the reconstruction of
fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
es in the new Russiahe turned each of these vignettes into a metaphor of historical transformation. This tendency to process private experiences into a greater social synthesis made Kapuściński an eminent thinker, and the volumes of the ongoing ''Lapidarium'' series are a record of the shaping of a reporter's observations into philosophical reflections on the world, its people and their suffering. He had great compassion for the poor, the victimised, and the debased. Kapuściński himself called his work "literary reportage", and ''reportage d'auteur''.Ryszard Kapuściński, ''Autoportret reportera'', ed. K. Strączek, Kraków, Znak, 2003, p. 42. . In the English-speaking world, his genre is sometimes characterised as " magic journalism" (in counterpoint to
magic realism Magical realism, magic realism, or marvelous realism is a style or genre of fiction and art that presents a realistic view of the world while incorporating magical elements, often blurring the lines between speculation and reality. ''Magical re ...
), a term coined by
Adam Hochschild Adam Hochschild ( ; born October 5, 1942) is an American author, journalist, historian and lecturer. His best-known works include ''King Leopold's Ghost'' (1998), ''To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914–1918'' (2011), '' Bur ...
in 1994. Kapuściński often introduced himself with the line "I am a poor reporter who unfortunately lacks the imagination of a writer". Italian journalist Tiziano Terzani and Ryszard Kapuściński shared a similar vision of journalism. Jaime Abello Banfi, the friend and associate of Gabriel García Márquez, reports that García Márquez and Kapuściński, unbeknownst to each other, shared the opinion that the way to good journalism led through poetry (because it inculcates both the conciseness of expression and its aptness). Kapuściński considered the ancient Greek historian
Herodotus Herodotus (; BC) was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus (now Bodrum, Turkey), under Persian control in the 5th century BC, and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria, Italy. He wrote the '' Histori ...
a great reporter and his master. He wrote a book '' Travels with Herodotus'' where he shows that the ''Histories'' of Herodotus are timeless and the masterpiece of reportage. He also considered Melchior Wańkowicz, Ksawery Pruszyński,
Curzio Malaparte Curzio Malaparte (; born Kurt Erich Suckert; 9 June 1898 – 19 July 1957) was an Italian writer, filmmaker, war correspondent and diplomat. Malaparte is best known outside Italy due to his works '' Kaputt'' (1944) and '' The Skin'' (1949). The ...
and Franciszek Gil (1917–1960) to have been his literary models and stylistic precursors.Ryszard Kapuściński
''Autoportret reportera''
, Kraków, Znak (2003). . (Of Pruszyński and Wańkowicz, Kapuściński says: "Obu znałem osobiście, obu podziwiałem, kochałem i ceniłem." (I have known them both personally, I have admired them both, I have loved them and esteemed them).)
On some level, Pruszyński and Wańkowicz shared a very similar approach to facts with Kapuściński, believing that the general picture of the story can be glued from bits and pieces to reveal a truth as a wholly independent construct. Students of Kapuściński's work observed correspondences between his work and that of J. M. Coetzee in that both writers were supposedly beholden to the theory of "the responsibility of witness". One reviewer saw in Kapuściński's mixing of subtle psychological reflection with vivid description an invitation to a comparison with
Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the Eng ...
; Binyavanga Wainaina and Aleksandar Hemon made the same comparison, if for other, less laudatory reasons. Kapuściński confirmed to
Bill Deedes William Francis Deedes, Baron Deedes, (1 June 1913 – 17 August 2007) was a British Conservative politician, army officer and journalist. He was the first person in Britain to have been both a member of the Cabinet and the editor of a major da ...
the fact that Conrad was one of his literary inspirations.
Neal Ascherson Charles Neal Ascherson (born 5 October 1932) is a Scottish journalist and writer. In his youth he fought for the British in the Malayan Emergency. He has been described by Radio Prague as "one of Britain's leading experts on central and easte ...
likened him to Egon Erwin Kisch (1885–1948) considered the father of literary reportage. Kapuściński himself cites Kisch with approval as the "classic of reportage" who dealt a death blow to traditional forms of reporting by putting the person of the reporter at centre stage. Certainly, neither Kisch nor Kapuściński believed in what might be called "
journalistic objectivity Journalistic objectivity is a principle within the discussion of journalistic professionalism. Journalistic objectivity may refer to fairness, disinterestedness, factuality, and nonpartisanship, but most often encompasses all of these qualit ...
": whereas Kisch thought it necessary for a (Communist) reporter to "engage politically" with his subject, Kapuściński would put objectivity as a concept out of court altogether, stating explicitly, "There is no such thing as objectivity. Objectivity is the question of the conscience of the one who writes. And he himself should answer the question is this what he writes close to the truth or not". Kapuściński's views on his craft were published in 2000 in the book in Italian ''Il cinico non è adatto a questo mestiere: conversazioni sul buon giornalismo'' (A Cynic wouldn't Suit This Profession: Conversations about Good Journalism), the book in Spanish from 2003 (distributed for free) ''Los cinco sentidos del periodista (estar, ver, oír, compartir, pensar)'' (The Journalist's Five Senses: Witnessing, Seeing, Listening, Sharing and Thinking) and in his Polish book ''Autoportret reportera'' (A Reporter's Self Portrait)Ryszard Kapuściński, ''Autoportret reportera'', Kraków, Znak, 2003. http://www.znak.com.pl/kartoteka,ksiazka,20,Autoportret-reportera published the same year. In 1987 Marek Miller talked with Kapuściński on the art of reportage and his life. These conversations were published in Poland in 2012 in the book ''Pisanie'' (Writing)Ryszard Kapuściński, ''Pisanie'', Warszawa, Czytelnik, 2012. http://czytelnik.pl/?ID=ksiazka&ID2=392 but broadcast in Canada on ''Kalejdoskop Polski'' TV as early as 1988. He was vocal denouncing manipulations and ignorance of big media.


Photographer

Kapuściński debuted as a photographer in the year 2000 with the publication of the album entitled ''Z Afryki'' ("Out of Africa"), a photographic harvest of his journeys in that continent. "Every snapshot is a recollection, a remembrance," he writes in the introduction, "and nothing can sensitise us more to the fragility of time, to its impermanent and fleeting naturethan photography."Ryszard Kapuściński, ''Ryszard Kapuściński z Afryki'', Bielsko-Biała, Wydawnictwo Buffi, 2000; 128 pp. . A sequel, entitled ''Ze świata'' ("From the World", published in November 2008 with the introduction of
John Updike John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once (the others being Booth Tar ...
), comprising a cross-section of Kapuściński's photographs from all parts of the world, contains some truly outstanding shots.


Posthumous and non-reportage works

In ''Ten Inny'' ("The Other"), a collection of lectures delivered in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
,
Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...
and
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, published shortly before his death, Kapuściński laments a state of affairs perpetuated by the myths which inculcate the notion of the Other as sub-human or non-human. He saw encountering the Other as the main challenge for the twenty-first century. The posthumously published ''Ho dato voce ai poveri: dialogo con i giovani'' ("I Gave a Voice to the Poor: Conversations with the Youth"; Trent, Il Margine, 2007; subsequently published in Poland as ''Dałem głos ubogim. Rozmowy z młodzieżą'';
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, Znak, 2008) is a record of Kapuściński's interactions with the students of the University of Bolzano in Italy in October 2006; while ''Rwący nurt historii. Zapiski o XX i XXI wieku'' ("In the Whirlpools of History: Jottings on the 20th and the 21st Centuries"; Kraków, Znak, 2007) is a compilation of interviews and lectures, reflecting Kapuściński's training as a historian and dealing with contemporary issues and their historical and cross-cultural parallels (including such issues as globalisation, Islam, the birth of the Third World, and the dawn of the Pacific civilisation). Kapuściński's pronouncements on current affairs were noteworthy: he thought that the causes of the 9/11 tragedy, for example, were too complex to lend themselves to an exhaustively thorough analysis at present, although he offered an extensive and sophisticated exposition of some of the key elements of the puzzle in the '' Clash of Civilisations''. He was critical on the ''Clash of Civilisations'' theory which he saw as an American vision of the world. He told a BBC interviewer right after the attacks: "I greatly fear that we will waste this moment. That instead of meaningful dialogue, it will just be gates and metal detectors". In an interview granted in 2002 to the then editor-in-chief of the monthly ''
Letras Libres ''Letras Libres'' is a Spanish-language monthly literary magazine published in Mexico and Spain. History and profile ''Letras Libres'', printed since 1999 in Mexico and since 2001 in Spain, has an average of eighteen to twenty articles per issue ...
'', Ricardo Cayuela Gally, Kapuściński opined that the war on terror, owing to the asymmetrical character of the combatants engaged in it, could only be wonand indeed easily, within a monththrough a (re)introduction of "
Stalinism Stalinism (, ) is the Totalitarianism, totalitarian means of governing and Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from History of the Soviet Union (1927–1953), 1927 to 1953 by dictator Jose ...
", a method undesirable for the sole reason that it would leave the world under the permanent "hegemony" of the United States, a circumstance that would spell the end of "the free society". In Poland, since 1986 Kapuściński was also known as a poet: he privately confided in his Swedish translator, Anders Bodegård, that he considered this to be his primary identity. In November 2007 the Canadian publishing house Biblioasis published Kapuściński's selected poems in English, ''I Wrote Stone'', the first English translation of his poetry.
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
wrote: "Big events (...) may have been treated lyrically in his prose, but (...) these poems capture the moments between crises, impressions that carry a book-length argument in a few lines". Collected poems from his books were published in Poland and Canada in 2012 in both Polish and English in the book ''Collected Poems'', translated by Diana Kuprel and Marek Kusiba. Although he was not the sole model for the role, Kapuściński was given a portrayal as the main character in
Andrzej Wajda Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the "P ...
's 1978 film '' Without Anesthesia''. Aleksandar Hemon, the Bosnian-American novelist (who had previously impugned Robert D. Kaplan's stereotyping of "the Balkan mind"), in a critique of Kapuściński's Africa writings published in ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'', accused Kapuściński's readers of turning a blind eye to "the underlying proto-racist essentialism" that informs his vision of and his approach to the cultures of the continent: " apuścińskifumes against the racism absurdly based on skin colour, and would probably be shocked if told that his obsessive listing of essential differences etween "the African mind" and "the European mind"is essentially racist".Rice, Andrew (1 October 2007)
"The Passenger"
''
The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...
''


Reception

Kapuściński had a global reputation, and is one of the Polish writers translated into the highest number of foreign languages. In an obituary published in ''
Der Spiegel (, , stylized in all caps) is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of about 724,000 copies in 2022, it is one of the largest such publications in Europe. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...
'', Kapuściński was described by German journalist Claus Christian Malzahn as "one of the most credible journalists the world has ever seen". Daniel Alarcón, a Peruvian-American novelist, cited Kapuściński as a formative influence together with
Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influenti ...
. The American journalist and reportage-writer Richard Bernstein, saw value in the "penetrating intelligence" of Kapuściński's vision and in his "crystallised descriptive" style of writing. The British journalist
Bill Deedes William Francis Deedes, Baron Deedes, (1 June 1913 – 17 August 2007) was a British Conservative politician, army officer and journalist. He was the first person in Britain to have been both a member of the Cabinet and the editor of a major da ...
, who had witnessed the
Rwandan genocide The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, occurred from 7 April to 19 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. Over a span of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Gre ...
first-hand, said of Kapuściński that what he "writes about Africa is authoritative as well as captivating. His account of how the Hutus and the Tutsis were drawn into that dark night of
genocide Genocide is violence that targets individuals because of their membership of a group and aims at the destruction of a people. Raphael Lemkin, who first coined the term, defined genocide as "the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group" by ...
in Rwanda is the most enlightening I have read anywhere" and that he had "transformed journalism into literature in his writings about Africa". Professor Philip Melling of
Swansea University Swansea University () is a public university, public research university located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. It was chartered as University College of Swansea in 1920, as the fourth college of the University of Wales. In 1996, it chang ...
has concurred with this opinion, citing Kapuściński as an authority on the Rwandan conflict.
Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie ( ; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British and American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern wor ...
wrote about him: "One Kapuściński is worth more than a thousand whimpering and fantasizing scribblers. His exceptional combination of journalism and art allows us to feel so close to what Kapuściński calls the inexpressible true image of war". Frequently mentioned as a favorite to win the Nobel Prize in literature, he never did. Kapuściński's dying before he could be awarded the Prize was bemoaned in the Swedish press as late as October 2010. Since his death he has been offered many epitaphs in the press, such as, "The master of modern journalism", "Translator of the World" and "The Greatest Reporter in the World", "Herodotus of our times", "Third World chronicler". Over the years, particularly since 1983 when '' The Emperor'' was named Book of the Year by ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
'' of London, Kapuściński was the recipient of many international literary prizes that brought recognition to his creative ''oeuvre'': these included, for example, the biennial Hanseatic Goethe Prize awarded by the Hamburg-based foundation, the Alfred Toepfer Stiftung, which he received in 1999; or the Italian Elsa Morante Prize (Premio Elsa Morante, Sezione Culture D'Europa) in 2005, for his '' Travels with Herodotus'' (the new category of the Premio Elsa Morante, called "Cultures of Europe", in effect a separate prize awarded by the same jury, having apparently been created specially for him). In 2001 Kapuściński received the literary Prix Tropiques of the
French Development Agency The French Development Agency (, AFD), known from 1992 to 1998 as the Caisse Française de Développement (CFD, ), is a public financial institution that implements France's development and international solidarity policies. It works to fight pov ...
for his book '' The Shadow of the Sun'', published in France under the title ''Ébène: Aventures africaines'', which had a year earlier been named the best book of the year by the French literary monthly, '' Lire''; the book also won the Italian literary award, Feudo Di Maida Prize (in full, Premio Letterario Internazionale Feudo Di Maida), for the year 2000. That same year (2000) Kapuściński was honoured with the prestigious Premio Internazionale Viareggio-Versilia, as well as having received the Creola Prize (Premio Creola) in
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
(awarded for travel books and facilitation of intercultural encounters), and the "Premio Letterario 'Della Resistenza' of the
Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
ese city of
Omegna Omegna (, , ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italy, Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about southwest of Verbania at the northernmost point of Lago d’Orta and traversed ...
(Premio Omegna). In 2003 Kapuściński received the Premio Grinzane Cavour per la Lettura in
Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
; shared the
Prince of Asturias Award The Princess of Asturias Awards (, ), formerly the Prince of Asturias Awards from 1981 to 2014 (), are a series of annual prizes awarded in Spain by the Princess of Asturias Foundation (previously the Prince of Asturias Foundation) to individuals ...
(in the category "Communications and Humanities") with the Peruvian theologian
Gustavo Gutiérrez Gustavo Gutiérrez-Merino Díaz (8 June 1928 – 22 October 2024) was a Peruvian philosopher, Catholic theologian, and Dominican priest who was one of the founders of liberation theology in Latin America. His 1971 book '' A Theology of Lib ...
; and was awarded the Kreisky Prize (Bruno-Kreisky-Preis für das politische Buch) for the entirety of his work ("Sonderpreis für das publizistische Gesamtwerk"; the award ceremony having taken place in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
in May of the following year). As the doyen of literary reportage, he was the keynote speaker at the inaugural ceremony, held in Berlin in October 2003, for the Lettre Ulysses Awards for the Art of Reportage. In 2005 the Italian edition of Kapuściński's poems (which appeared in print the previous year as ''Taccuino d'appunti'' in the translation of Silvano De Fanti) won the state-funded Naples Prize (Premio Napoli). To complete the round-up of Italian prizes, the next year Kapuściński was awarded a special category of the Ilaria Alpi Prize for the entirety of his career (Premio Ilaria Alpi alla carriera), one of the best-known of Italian journalistic awards, named for an Italian investigative reporter murdered in
Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
in 1994 (although the scope of the prize is limited to TV journalism, special categories of prizes for which he would not otherwise qualifyas also for example in the case of the Elsa Morante Prizehave been created for Kapuściński). Kapuściński received honorary doctorates from the University of Silesia (1997), the
University of Wrocław The University of Wrocław (, UWr; ) is a public research university in Wrocław, Poland. It is the largest institution of higher learning in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, with over 100,000 graduates since 1945, including some 1,900 researcher ...
(2001), the University of Sofia (2002), the
University of Gdańsk The University of Gdańsk () is a public university, public research university located in Gdańsk, Poland. It is one of the top 10 universities in Poland and an important centre for the studies of the Kashubian language. History The Universi ...
(2004),
Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...
(2004). In June 2005 Kapuściński was invested with an honorary doctorate by the private
Ramon Llull University University Ramon Llull (, URL; ) is a private university located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain established in 1990. Currently it is made up of several different colleges specializing in different subjects; most of which are located in downtown Ba ...
of Barcelona, Spain; and in May 2006, just eight months before his death, he received a similar degree from the University of Udine in Italy. In 2010,
Warsaw City Council Warsaw City Council, officially the Council of the Capital City of Warsaw () is a unicameral governing body of the city of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. The council was first created following the location of Warsaw under the terms of the Magdebu ...
established the Ryszard Kapuściński Award as a form of distinction and promotion of the most worthwhile reportage books which touch on important contemporary issues, evoke reflection, and deepen our knowledge of the world of other cultures.


Controversy and biographies

Since at least 1987 Kapuściński's veracity as a reporter has been disputed, and he responded with the explanation that his work had been allegorical. By his own account he chose to avoid dates, names, and orders of events. Since at least 2001, there has been literary debate about to which genre Kapuściński's work should be categorized. A 2001 review by John Ryle concerned the Kapuściński memoir entitled '' The Shadow of the Sun'' released in the same year.John Ryle (2001), "At play in the bush of ghosts" originally published as the "Tales of Mythical Africa" by the ''Times Literary Supplement'', 27 July 2001. Review of: Ryszard Kapuściński, ''The Shadow of the Sun'', translated by Klara Glowczewska, 336 pp,
Penguin Books Penguin Books Limited is a Germany, German-owned English publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers the Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the ...
, 2001. See:
Ryle alleged that questions about the reliability of Kapuściński's reportage began with '' The Emperor''. Scrutinizing Kapuściński's translation of expressions of
fealty An oath of fealty, from the Latin (faithfulness), is a pledge of allegiance of one person to another. Definition In medieval Europe, the swearing of fealty took the form of an oath made by a vassal, or subordinate, to his lord. "Fealty" also r ...
by Ethiopian courtiers, Ryle said that "native speakers of Amharic say that these honorifics correspond to no known expressions in their language." Ryle wrote that he visited Ethiopia in the 1990s when the action of '' The Shadow of the Sun'' was taking place. He said there were inaccuracies in the story, for example, that Mengistu's generals did not escape justice and that the 'academics' among them were few and far in between. Ryle noticed that the initials of Kapuściński's informants did not correspond to the names of witnesses in the trial of the
Derg The Derg or Dergue (, ), officially the Provisional Military Administrative Council (PMAC), was the military junta that ruled Ethiopia, including present-day Eritrea, from 1974 to 1987, when they formally "Civil government, civilianized" the ...
in
Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...
. He added that Kapuściński's description of the capital devoid of bookstores did not correspond to what he has seen on his last visit there, because he found six bookstores there. He also disputed Kapuściński's assertion that Haile Selassie did not read books by saying he had a library, was well read, and annotated documents. Ryle continued:
In answer to such criticisms it has been argued that The Emperor is not meant to be about Ethiopia at all, that it is an allegory of Communist power in Poland, or of autocratic regimes in general. ... Like Kapuściński's other books, The Emperor is presented unambiguously as factual reportage and it asserts its claim on the reader's attention as such. ... There is a double standard at work in such excuses, a clear eurocentric bias. Consider the hypothetical case of an author publishing a book of scandalous revelations about the last years of the Gierek regime in communist Poland, using dubious information obtained in obscure circumstances from anonymous and untraceable members of the Polish Internal Security Police. It would not be considered a reasonable defence of such a book to say that it did not matter whether it was true or not because it was really intended, not as a book about Poland, but as an allegorical account of events in imperial Ethiopia. ... Such criticisms do not rob Kapuściński's writing of its bright allure, its illuminating moments, its often lively sympathy for the people of the countries he writes about, but they warn us not to take it seriously as a guide to reality.
Polish scholars Dr. Beata Nowacka ( University of Silesia) and Dr. Zygmunt Ziątek (
Polish Academy of Sciences The Polish Academy of Sciences (, PAN) is a Polish state-sponsored institution of higher learning. Headquartered in Warsaw, it is responsible for spearheading the development of science across the country by a society of distinguished scholars a ...
) wrote the first biography of Kapuściński, which was published by Znak in 2008 under the title ''Ryszard Kapuściński. Biografia pisarza''. Their monograph was translated in 2010 to Spanish (''Kapuscinski. Una biografía literaria'') and in 2012 to Italian (''Ryszard Kapuściński. Biografia di uno scrittore''). Professor Silvano De Fanti from the
University of Udine The University of Udine (Italian language, Italian ''Università degli Studi di Udine'') is a public university in the city of Udine, Italy. It was founded in 1978 as part of the reconstruction plan of Friuli after the 1976 Friuli earthquake, ear ...
wrote Kapuściński's biography for the ''Opere'' (2009), published in Italian in the Meridiani series which aims to collect major writers of all times from all countries. In 2010, a Polish language monograph titled ''Kapuściński Non-Fiction'' written by Artur Domosławski was published in Warsaw. Kapuściński's widow, Alicja Kapuścińska, sought an injunction against Domosławski's book, claiming defamation and invasion of privacy. The injunction was rejected by the Polish court on the grounds that she had chosen to give Domosławski access to her husband's archive.Luke Harding (2 March 2010)
Poland's ace reporter Ryszard Kapuściński accused of fiction-writing.
The Guardian.com.
In an interview with ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' Domosławski said: "Kapuściński was experimenting in journalism. He wasn't aware he had crossed the line between journalism and literature. I still think his books are wonderful and precious. But ultimately, they belong to fiction." Domosławski's monograph was translated to English in 2012 by Antonia Lloyd-Jones and first published by
Verso Books Verso Books (formerly New Left Books) is a publishing house based in London and New York City, founded in 1970 by the staff of ''New Left Review'' (NLR) and includes Tariq Ali and Perry Anderson on its board of directors. According to its webs ...
as ''Ryszard Kapuściński. A Life'' in 2012.
Neal Ascherson Charles Neal Ascherson (born 5 October 1932) is a Scottish journalist and writer. In his youth he fought for the British in the Malayan Emergency. He has been described by Radio Prague as "one of Britain's leading experts on central and easte ...
defended Kapuściński in March 2010 by saying: "None of the doubts, as far as I can see, are about the despatches and features he sent to newspapers, or to the
Polish Press Agency The Polish Press Agency (, PAP) is Poland's national news agency, producing and distributing political, economic, social, and cultural news as well as events information. It was founded in 1918 as Polish Telegraphic Agency (PAT). PAP serves pri ...
. They are about his books. The adventures and encounters he describes in his books are on a different level of veracity. Like his friend
Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th centur ...
, Kapuściński used to talk about "literary reportage". You're meant to believe what you are being told, but not in every literal detail. ... Scrupulous in his journalism, in his books he was capable of inventing to make a truth even truer. He was a great story-teller, but not a liar." Timothy Garton Ash was more critical. Ash wrote later that month (reprinted in his ''Facts Are Subversive''): "with Kapuscinski, we keep crossing from the Kenya of fact to the Tanzania of fiction, and back again, but the transition is nowhere explicitly signalled."Timothy Garton Ash (10 March 2010)
Ryszard Kapuściński. Opinion. Bearing witness is a sacred trust.
The Guardian.com.
Reviewing the English translation of Domosławski's book for ''
The Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'' in 2012, the then permanent secretary of the Nobel-awarding
Swedish Academy The Swedish Academy (), founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. Its 18 members, who are elected for life, comprise the highest Swedish language authority. Outside Scandinavia, it is best known as the body t ...
, Peter Englund, said: "In any case, the "literary" in "literary reportage" doesn't absolve you of your duty to the facts. Neither is it possible, in my mind, to see it as a sliding scale, in which you are able slowly to introduce droplets of fiction into a factual text until, at a certain point, the mixture transforms into pure fiction. No, once an element of fiction is introduced into a text everything immediately turns into fiction – maybe fiction with a strong resemblance to the real world, but still fiction." The first biographers, Nowacka and Ziątek, responded to Domosławski's allegations with their own new book, ''Literatura non-fiction. Czytanie Kapuścińskiego po Domosławskim'' (''Non‑fiction literature: Reading Kapuściński after Domosławski''

which was published in Polish by the University of Silesia Press in 2013. They oppose the accusation of creating a myth, and his own legend, as well as confabulations and opportunism, showing a selected and tendentious usage of the author's life knowledge, the lack of comprehension of literary reportage, manipulation with texts and quotations, as well as numerous factual and technical mistakes made by Domosławski. In 2013 the publisher of Domosławski's book apologized to Alicja Kapuścińska and her daughter. In May 2015 amendments were ordered by a court in Warsaw which also ruled that Domosławski should apologise to Kapuściński's widow, however in August 2015 the same court has ruled that the author will not have to apologise to Kapuściński's daughter.We know the verdict on the biography of Ryszard Kapuściński Polish Radio SA 27 May 2015
/ref>


Selected books


Works available in English

* '' Another Day of Life'' (''Jeszcze dzień życia'') (1976) * '' The Soccer War'' (''Wojna futbolowa'') (1978) * '' The Emperor (book), The Emperor: Downfall of an Autocrat'' (''Cesarz'') (1978) * '' Shah of Shahs'' (''Szachinszach'') (1982) * ''
Imperium In ancient Rome, ''imperium'' was a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity. It is distinct from '' auctoritas'' and '' potestas'', different and generally inferior types of power in the Roman Republic a ...
'' (''Imperium'') (1993) * '' The Shadow of the Sun'' (''Heban'') (1998) * ''Our Responsibilities in a Multicultural World'' (''Powinności obywatela świata wielokulturowego'') (2002) * '' Travels with Herodotus'' (''Podróże z Herodotem'') (2007) * ''Encountering the Other: The Challenge for the Twenty-first CenturyThe Inaugural Lecture of the Thirty-six hAnnual School of Polish Language and Culture at the Jagiellonian University, 5 July 2005'' (''Spotkanie z Innym jako wyzwanie XXI wieku: wykład z okazji otwarcia 36. Szkoły Języka i Kultury Polskiej Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego'') (2005) * ''Inside an Iceberg'' (''Wewnątrz góry lodowej''; extract from '' The Shadow of the Sun'') (2007) * ''I Wrote Stone: The Selected Poetry of Ryszard Kapuściński'' (2007) * ''The Cobra's Heart'' (extract from '' The Shadow of the Sun'') (2007) * ''The Other'' (''Ten Inny'') (2008) – A collection of the author's lectures. * ''My Morning Walk'' (''Spacer poranny'') (2009) – The reportage about Poland and Warsaw, written in the 1990s and found after Kapuściński's death. Published in a book which, besides Polish original text, includes translations to English, German and Spanish. * ''Collected Poems'' (''Wiersze zebrane'') (2012)


Works currently unavailable in English

* ''The Polish Bush'' (''Busz po polsku'') (1962) – A collection of early essays. * ''Black Stars'' (''Czarne gwiazdy'') (1963) – A book which focuses on
Kwame Nkrumah Francis Kwame Nkrumah (, 21 September 1909 – 27 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast from 1952 until 1957, when it gained ...
and
Patrice Lumumba Patrice Émery Lumumba ( ; born Isaïe Tasumbu Tawosa; 2 July 192517 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic o ...
. * ''The Kirghiz Dismounts'' (''Kirgiz schodzi z konia'') (1968) – Essays and articles about seven of the Caucasian and Central Asian republics of the (then) Soviet Union (some of the material subsequently incorporated in ''
Imperium In ancient Rome, ''imperium'' was a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity. It is distinct from '' auctoritas'' and '' potestas'', different and generally inferior types of power in the Roman Republic a ...
''). * ''If All Africa...'' (''Gdyby cała Afryka'') (1969) – A collection of essays and articles about Africa. * ''Why Karl von Spreti Died'' (''Dlaczego zginął Karl von Spreti'') (1970) – A book about
Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
during the 1960s and 1970s, in the background of the assassination of Karl von Spreti. * ''Christ With a Rifle on His Shoulder'' (''Chrystus z karabinem na ramieniu'') (1975) – A book which focuses on the partisan movements in Africa, Latin America and Middle East. * ''An Invitation to Georgia'' (''Zaproszenie do Gruzji'') (1983) * ''The Notebook'' (''Notes'') (1986) – First collection of the author's poetry. * ''Lapidarium'' (1990) * ''Lapidarium II'' (1995) * ''Lapidarium III'' (1997) * ''Lapidarium IV'' (2000) * ''A Cynic wouldn't Suit This Profession: Conversations about Good Journalism'' (''Il cinico non è adatto a questo mestiere: conversazioni sul buon giornalismo'') (2000)Ryszard Kapuściński, ''Il cinico non è adatto a questo mestiere: conversazioni sul buon giornalismo'', ed. M. Nadotti; Rome, Edizioni e/o, 2000. Published as part of the series "Piccola biblioteca morale", No. 26., . – Later translated into Spanish and Polish, includes a previously unpublished dialogue with
John Berger John Peter Berger ( ; 5 November 1926 – 2 January 2017) was an English art critic, novelist, painter and poet. His novel '' G.'' won the 1972 Booker Prize, and his essay on art criticism '' Ways of Seeing'', written as an accompaniment to t ...
. * ''Lapidarium V'' (2002) * ''A Reporter's Self Portrait'' (''Autoportret reportera'') (2003) – A collection of interviews with and quotes by Kapuściński, translated into Hungarian (2004), Spanish (2005), Italian (2006) and French (2008). * ''The Journalist's Five Senses: Witnessing, Seeing, Listening, Sharing and Thinking'' (''Los cinco sentidos del periodista (estar, ver, oír, compartir, pensar)'') (2003) – distributed for free * ''The Laws of Nature'' (''Prawa natury'') (2006) – Second collection of the author's poetry * ''I Gave a Voice to the Poor: Conversations with the Youth'' (''Ho dato voce ai poveri: dialogo con i giovani'') (2007) – A collection of interactions with Italian students. * ''Kapuściński: I cannot Encompass the World'' (''Kapuściński: nie ogarniam świata'') (2007) – A collection of seven interviews with Kapuściński between 1991 and 2006. * ''Lapidarium VI'' (2007) * ''Collected Poetry'' (''Wiersze zebrane'') (2008) * ''Hospital Diary'' (''Zapiski szpitalne'') (2008) – Kapuściński's last writings. * ''Writing: Marek Miller talks with Ryszard Kapuściński'' (''Pisanie. Z Ryszardem Kapuścińskim rozmawia Marek Miller''), Warsaw, Czytelnik, 2012 (book + DVD) – conversations with Kapuściński on the art of reportage, recorded in the 1980s.


Magazine contributions in English (by issue)

* ''
Granta ''Granta'' is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story's supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make ...
15: A Warsaw Diary'' * ''Granta 16: Science'' * ''Granta 20: In Trouble Again'' * ''Granta 21: The Story-Teller'' * ''Granta 26: Travel'' * ''Granta 28: Birthday Special!'' * ''Granta 33: What Went Wrong?'' * ''Granta 48: Africa'' * ''Granta 73: Necessary Journeys'' * ''Granta 88: Mothers'' * see also, in book form: Ryszard Kapuściński 'et al''. ''The Best of Granta Reportage'', London, Granta, 1993.


Photography

* ''Out of Africa'' (''Z Afryki'') (2000) – The author's first photo album. Published in Spain as ''Desde Africa'' (2001), and in Italy as ''Dall'Africa'' (2002). * ''Ryszard Kapuściński: Fragment'' (2002) – Catalogue of the author's photography exhibition held at the Opus Gallery in
Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
in May 2002. * ''From the World'' (''Ze świata'') (2008) – A collection of the author's photographs from all over the world, with an introduction by
John Updike John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once (the others being Booth Tar ...
(text in Polish). * ''My Morning Walk'' (''Spacer poranny'') (2009) – A collection of the author's photographs from the Mokotów Field in Warsaw (text in English, German and Spanish, as well as Polish). * ''Ryszard Kapuściński: From the Imperium'' (2010) – Catalogue of the author's photography exhibition held at the Zachęta National Gallery of Art in
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, 18 December 2010 – 20 February 2011. * ''The Polish Bush: Postscriptum'' (''Busz po polsku. Postscriptum'') (2012) – A collection of the author's photographs from the exhibition ''
Konin Konin () is a city in central Poland, on the Warta River. It is the capital of Konin County and is located within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. In 2021 the population of the city was 71,427, making it the fourth-largest city in Greater Poland af ...
jak Colorado''. These photographs were discovered in 2010.


Other

* Pracownia Reportażu (Beck et al., inspired by Marek Miller), ''Who Allowed Journalists Here'' (''Kto tu wpuścił dziennikarzy''), Independent Publishing House NOWA, 1985 – 41 conversations with journalists (including Kapuściński) recorded between September 1980 and May 1981 about the Gdańsk Shipyard strikes in 1980. *
Adam Hochschild Adam Hochschild ( ; born October 5, 1942) is an American author, journalist, historian and lecturer. His best-known works include ''King Leopold's Ghost'' (1998), ''To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914–1918'' (2011), '' Bur ...
, ''Finding the Trapdoor: Essays, Portraits, Travels'', Syracuse, N.Y., Syracuse University Press, 1997 ("Magic Journalism," pp. 241–250). * Anders Bodegård and Maria Söderberg, ''A Visit to Pinsk with Ryszard Kapuściński'', tr. Frank Gabriel Perry, Enskede (Sweden), Maria Söderberg, 1999; . * Kazimierz Wolny-Zmorzyński, ''Wobec świata i mediów. Ryszarda Kapuścińskiego dylematy dziennikarskie, literackie, społeczno-polityczne'', Kraków, Instytut Dziennikarstwa Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, 199

* Gdański Areopag – Forum Dialogu (Bock et al.), ''The Truth'' (''Prawda''), Gdańsk – Pelplin, WDP Bernardinum, 2004, – Includes conversations with Kapuściński and other interlocutors on the subject of truth, which took place on 9 November 2003 in
Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...
. * Krzysztof Masłoń, ''Love is not Our Lot'' (''Miłość nie jest nam dana''), Warsaw, Prószyński i S-ka, 2005 – Includes conversations with Kapuściński and other interlocutors. * Aleksandra Kunce, ''The anthropology of points. Deliberations on texts by Ryszard Kapuściński '' (''Antropologia punktów. Rozważania przy tekstach Ryszarda Kapuścińskiego''), Katowice, Silesia University Press, 200

* Maciej Sadowski, ''Ryszard Kapuściński: Photobiography'', Warsaw, VEDA, 2013 – in English and Polish. * Marek Kusiba, ''Ryszard Kapuściński from far and near'' (''Ryszard Kapuściński z daleka i z bliska''), Warsaw, Znak 2018


Documentary films

Kapuściński wrote a screenplay for a 1962 Polish documentary film ''80-dni Lumumby'' (80 days of Lumumba) directed by Tadeusz Jaworski about
Patrice Lumumba Patrice Émery Lumumba ( ; born Isaïe Tasumbu Tawosa; 2 July 192517 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic o ...
. Imperfect Journey is a 1994 Ethiopian documentary film directed by
Haile Gerima Haile Gerima (born March 4, 1946) is an Ethiopian filmmaker who lives and works in the United States. He is a leading member of the L.A. Rebellion film movement, also known as the Los Angeles School of Black Filmmakers. Since 1975, Haile has b ...
. Gerima travelled to Ethiopia together with Kapuściński. The film explores the political and psychic recovery of the Ethiopian people after the repression of the military junta of
Mengistu Haile Mariam Mengistu Haile Mariam (, pronunciation: ; born 21 May 1937) is an Ethiopian former politician, revolutionary, and military officer who served as the head of state of Ethiopia from 1977 to 1991. He was General Secretary of the Workers' Party o ...
. Documentary films about Kapuściński include Jacek Talczewski's ''Ryszard Kapuściński'' (Polish, 1987, the idea of the film by Marek Miller), Filip Bajon's ''Poszukiwany Ryszard Kapuściński'' (Polish, 1998), Piotr Załuski's ''Druga Arka Noego'' (Polish, 2000), ''Pejzaże dzieciństwa. Ryszard Kapuściński'' (Polish, 2005), Gabrielle Pfeiffer's ''A Poet on the Front Line: The Reportage of Ryszard Kapuściński'' (English, 2004), Beata Hyży-Czołpińska's ''Ostatnia książka Ryszarda Kapuścińskiego'' (Polish, 2008), Olga Prud'homme-Farges' ''L'Afrique vue par Ryszard Kapuściński'' (French, 2014, also in German as ''Am Puls Afrikas'')., and Ela Chrzanowska's ''Los ríos. El viaje a México con el Maestro Kapuściński'' (Spanish and Polish, 2016).


See also

* Ryszard Kapuściński Award *
Travel writing The genre of travel literature or travelogue encompasses outdoor literature, guide books, nature writing, and travel memoirs. History Early examples of travel literature include the '' Periplus of the Erythraean Sea'' (generally considered a ...
*
Foreign correspondent A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is usually a journalist or commentator for a magazine, or an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, locati ...
*
Herodotus Herodotus (; BC) was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus (now Bodrum, Turkey), under Persian control in the 5th century BC, and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria, Italy. He wrote the '' Histori ...
* V. S. Naipaul * Kazimierz Nowak * Ferdynand Ossendowski * Tiziano Terzani * Anjan Sundaram


Notes and references


Further reading

* Review of ''Imperium''. *


External links


John May interviews Kapuscinski
London, 9 August 1984
John May interviews Kapuscinski
London, 3 April 1986
BBC Arena: Kapuściński
1988
92Y/The Paris Review Interview Series: Ryszard Kapuściński
New York, 9 December 1991

an autobiographical interview, 1999
Confronting the Worst: Writing and Catastrophe
New York,
New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...
, 16 April 2005
Interview with Kapuscinski: ''Writing About Suffering'', Journal of the International Institute, November 1997


* ttp://www.letraslibres.com/index.php?art=7597 ''Letras Libres'' interview with Kapuscinski in Spanish
Documentary movie: ''A Poet on the Frontline: The Reportage of Ryszard Kapuscinski'', 2004

Review of ''Travels with Herodotus''

InfoPoland: Kapuściński links

Press response in UK, US and Canada to Kapuscinski's death
* * Open Library
Works by Kapuscinski

Ryszard Kapuściński
at culture.pl

* ttp://terzanitiziano.info/kapuscinski-terzani Kapuściński and Terzani
Kapuscinski Development Lectures series kapuscinskilectures.eu

kapuscinski.info
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kapuscinski, Ryszard 1932 births 2007 deaths Writers from Pinsk People from Polesie Voivodeship Polish travel writers University of Warsaw alumni Polish war correspondents Polish United Workers' Party members Members of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1944–1989) Nike Award winners Recipients of the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) 20th-century Polish journalists