Robert Fisk at Writers' Week

Controversial journalist Robert Fisk is in Adelaide for Writers' Week, promoting his new memoir/exploration of the history of Middle East, The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East.

Fisk is an impassioned and inspiring public speaker, and during the Q&A could have spent another hour answering each of the questions from the audience. His sessions (I think he did three in total) were always packed -- Rebecca arrived more than hour before the start in order to make sure that we got good seats.

Fisk read three extracts from his new book, and then opened the floor to questions. The first reading was a scene from the Iran/Iraq war, a description of being flown in on a helicopter to the frontlines. The second described living in Beirut, and about being there when his father died. And the last was a first-hand account of the burning of books and archives in Baghdad in the immediate days following the Iraq War, and the apathy of the American authorities towards doing anything about it.

In the questions section, the issue of why Fisk continues to return to the most dangerous parts of the world and witness the worst situations of conflict. In essence, Fisk feels that the dead would want him and other war correspondents to tell their stories. He mentioned that Middle East cultural tradition tends to seek to demystify death and tragedy by wanting to address it and tell the story.

Another question dealt with last year's assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Fisk, who knew Hariri personally, was so close to the scene of the crime that he was knocked to the ground by the force of the explosion. He described his first-hand witnessing of the tampering with evidence by plain-clothes police. Fisk then detailed the attempts at intimidation and threats that he endured while covering the story.

Fisk is one of the most courageous and honest, and therefore both vilified and honoured, journalists in the world. It was a real thrill and privilege to meet him and hear him speak this week.