2009 Kurt Schork Awards Winners Announced

This year’s jury selected three outstanding candidates whose fearlessness and journalistic excellence represent the overall mission of the Kurt Schork Awards for International Journalism

The 2009 Kurt Schork Awards for International Journalism will honour freelancers Manon Quérouil (France) and Nir Rosen (US) jointly, and local reporter Maqbool Ahmed (Pakistan). The awards ceremony at Thomson Reuters headquarters, Canary Wharf on Thursday 12th November will be followed by a reception and panel discussion.

This year’s Schork jury included John Burns of The New York Times, Mark Danner of The New York Review of Books, Isabel Hilton of China Dialogue and Aung Zaw of the Southeast Asia publishing group Irrawaddy.

The jury enjoyed Manon Quérouil‘s terrific variety of subject matter and lovely reporting style which marries attention to detail with sensitivity. They commented that her piece on a female Colombian serial-killer and another titled Pirates of Somalia were particularly courageous.

The jury was impressed by the outstanding quality and level of detail of Nir Rosen's reporting, which they said was remarkable, intrepid and very well executed. The Gazni piece is unusual, personal and demonstrates a readiness to take risks.

Maqbool Ahmed’s on-the-ground piece from Swat was extremely well reported and fearless. The jury commented on Ahmed’s strong ability to go beyond the broad arc of the story and give a sense of what it is like to be there including sensitivity to the people and their fears. They hailed his longterm dedication to covering the Swat conflict.

A special commendation was given to local reporter Reji Joseph (India) for his splendid ongoing and important work, which is both encouraging and not without risk in the communist state of Kerala.

About the Winners

Local Reporter

Maqbool Ahmed
Inside Swat, Sold In Haste & The Long Shadow of The North - Herald (monthly current affairs magazine), Pakistan

Born in Karachi October 1969, Maqbool Ahmed entered journalism as a trainee subeditor at Pakistan Press International (PPI) newswire in 1988. Spurred by its exciting prospects, he later switched to reporting in 1992 before joining the prestigious English-language daily The News in 1995 where he covered political proceedings and legal cases at the higher judiciary. When progressive journalist Najam Sethi launched Daily Times from Lahore in 2001, Ahmed was part of the launch team at its Karachi Bureau. In 2006 he joined monthly current affairs magazine Herald where his report “The Invisible Displaced”, on the plight and ordeal of people displaced from Balochistan, was recognised by the Islamabad office of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Freelance Journalists

Manon Quérouil
Pirates in Somalia - Le Figaro
Valley of Horrors & Colombia - Occupation: Contract Killer - Marie Claire

Manon Quérouil, 29, graduated from the Oriental Languages Institute in Persian language and civilisation. Specialised in Middle East and gender issues, Manon has been working on numerous stories over the past few years in Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Colombia, Guatemala and Kosovo among others. She has lived in both Iran and Afghanistan. She has been widely published in the French Marie Claire, the Figaro Magazine and in other European magazines. Her latest work on rebels in Niger Delta was published in Paris Match. She is currently writing a book on the life of an Afghan policewoman to be published in April 2010.

Nir Rosen
How We Lost the War We Won: A journey into Taliban-controlled Afghanistan - Rolling Stone
We Run the Road & The Gathering Storm - The National Newspaper

Nir Rosen is a freelance journalist from New York and is based in Beirut with his wife and son. He is a Fellow at the New York University Center on Law and Security. Nir moved to Iraq in 2003 and covered the early years of the invasion. He has also reported from Afghanistan, Pakistan, the former Yugoslavia, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Yemen, Turkey and Egypt. Nir has filmed for documentaries and consulted for humanitarian organisations.

More information about the winners

About the Kurt Schork Memorial Fund

The Kurt Schork Awards are the only ones that specifically honour the contributions of freelance journalists covering foreign news and reporters from the developing world and countries in transition. Established in 2001, they celebrate the life and work of Kurt Schork, the former freelance reporter who was killed eight years ago in Sierra Leone on assignment for Reuters. The goal of the Kurt Schork Memorial Fund, however, is to not only honour, but assist these often overlooked journalists with a $5,000 monetary award that recognises their contribution to news and provides some financial means to help them continue reporting. For more information please go to: http://www.ksmfund.org/

About Institute for War and Peace Reporting

IWPR undertakes long-term capacity building programs in more than two dozen areas of crisis and conflict around the world. Established in 1993, its work focuses on training, reporting and institution-building. This includes establishing independent local media and supporting institutions; training local reporters, editors and producers in basic and specialist skills; supporting extensive indepth reporting on human rights, good governance and related issues; disseminating fact-based reporting in developing countries and internationally, and strengthening communications capacity of local human rights, women’s and grassroots organisations and activists.

For more information contact Vanessa Gray-Hernandez at vanessa@iwpr.net