Christopher de Bellaigue
Encyclopedia
Christopher de Bellaigue (born 1971 in London
) is a journalist
who has worked on the Middle East
and South Asia
since 1994. His work mostly chronicles developments in Iran
and Turkey
.
De Bellaigue obtained a BA
and MA
in Oriental Studies
from the University of Cambridge
, where he was a student at Fitzwilliam College. His first book, In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs: A Memoir of Iran, was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature
's Ondaatje Prize
. In 2007-2008, he was a visiting fellow at St. Antony's College, Oxford, where he began work on an anticipated biography of the Iranian prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh.
De Bellaigue is the Tehran
correspondent for The Economist
and is a frequent contributor to the New York Review of Books, Granta
, and The New Yorker
, among other publications. He lives in London with his wife Bita Ghezelayagh, who is an Iranian architect, and two children.
He converted to Iranian Shiism sect of Islam
in the early part of this decade.
He wrote "Rebel Land: Among Turkey's Forgotten People", an account of the three years he lived in Varto
, after publishing an essay in the New York Review of Books about the Turkish "deportations and massacres" of Armenians
in 1915 and being told by Professor James R. Russell
that he was engaging in genocide denial and scolded by editor Robert Silvers for acting as an "apologist" for the Turks.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
who has worked on the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
since 1994. His work mostly chronicles developments in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
De Bellaigue obtained a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Oriental Studies
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
from the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, where he was a student at Fitzwilliam College. His first book, In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs: A Memoir of Iran, was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature
Royal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
's Ondaatje Prize
Ondaatje Prize
The Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize is an annual literary award given by the Royal Society of Literature. The £10,000 award is given for a work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry which evokes the "spirit of a place", and which is written by someone who is a citizen of or who has been...
. In 2007-2008, he was a visiting fellow at St. Antony's College, Oxford, where he began work on an anticipated biography of the Iranian prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh.
De Bellaigue is the Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
correspondent for The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
and is a frequent contributor to the New York Review of Books, Granta
Granta
Granta is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centers 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 real." In 2007, The Observer stated, "In its blend of...
, and The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, among other publications. He lives in London with his wife Bita Ghezelayagh, who is an Iranian architect, and two children.
He converted to Iranian Shiism sect of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in the early part of this decade.
He wrote "Rebel Land: Among Turkey's Forgotten People", an account of the three years he lived in Varto
Varto
Varto is a town in eastern Turkey occupied primarily by Kurdish people.Varto was the site of a major fighting during the Sheikh Said rebellion in 1924, and the 1966 earthquake that killed nearly 3,000 people....
, after publishing an essay in the New York Review of Books about the Turkish "deportations and massacres" of Armenians
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
in 1915 and being told by Professor James R. Russell
James R. Russell
James Robert Russell is a scholar and professor in Ancient Near Eastern, Iranian and Armenian Studies. He has published extensively in journals, and has written several books....
that he was engaging in genocide denial and scolded by editor Robert Silvers for acting as an "apologist" for the Turks.
Books
- "Rebel Land: Among Turkey's Forgotten People" (2009)
- The Struggle for Iran (2007)
- In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs: A Memoir of Iran (2005)
Documentaries
- Iran and Britain (BBC FourBBC FourBBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
, February 2009 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00hq1w7)