John Carlin
Encyclopedia
John Carlin is a journalist and author, dealing with both sports and politics. His book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation about former South African president Nelson Mandela
is the basis for the 2009 film Invictus
.
and Sunday Times, the Toronto Star, the BBC, CBC and ABC (US) before joining the staff of the London Independent at the newspaper's launch in 1986.
Carlin was The Independent
's South Africa
bureau chief from 1989-1995. In 1993 Carlin wrote and presented a BBC
documentary on the South African Third Force
, his first television work.
From 1995-1998 he was the United States bureau chief for The Independent on Sunday.
In 1997, Carlin wrote an article titled "A Farewell to Arms" for Wired
magazine about a cyber warfare attack. This was originally intended to form the basis of a 1999 film, WW3.com. When this project stalled, its script was rewritten into the 2007 film, Live Free or Die Hard
(Die Hard 4.0).
In 1998 Carlin joined El País, the world's leading Spanish-language newspaper, where he remains working as a senior international writer, based in Barcelona.
Carlin was writer and interviewer for the 1999 episode The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela of the American PBS series Frontline. It was also broadcast as The First Accused in South Africa by the SABC.
An article by Carlin was the basis for the script of the 2000 Channel 4
documentary Maradona
- Kicking the Habit. Carlin won the 2000 El País Ortega y Gasset Award
for journalism, for an article in Spanish newspaper El País. In 2004 he won the British Press Awards "Food and Drink Writer of the Year" prize.
.
In a 1998 interview, Mandela said of Carlin's journalism "What you wrote and the way in which you carried out your task in this country was absolutely magnificent…it was absolutely inspiring. You have been very courageous, saying things which many journalists would never say." Mandela wrote the foreword to Carlin's 2004 Spanish language book Heroica Tierra Cruel about Africa
.
In August 2008, Carlin published the book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation, about how Mandela used the 1995 Rugby World Cup
to reconcile a nation riven by centuries of racial animosity. The book became the basis for Clint Eastwood's 2009 film, Invictus
, starring Morgan Freeman
as Mandela.
on the latter's autobiography Rafa.
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
is the basis for the 2009 film Invictus
Invictus (film)
Invictus is a 2009 biographical sports drama film directed by Clint Eastwood starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.The story is based on the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation about the events in South Africa before and during the 1995 Rugby World...
.
Personal life
Carlin was born to a Scottish father and Spanish mother, and spent the first three years of his life in North London, before moving to Buenos Aires, Argentina, due to his father's posting to the British Embassy. Having returned to England, he was educated at St George's College, Weybridge, and went on to gain an MA in English Language and Literature from Oxford University.Career
Carlin began his journalistic career at the Buenos Aires Herald in 1981, writing about film, football and politics. In 1982 he began a six-year stint in Mexico and Central America working for, among others, The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and Sunday Times, the Toronto Star, the BBC, CBC and ABC (US) before joining the staff of the London Independent at the newspaper's launch in 1986.
Carlin was The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
's South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
bureau chief from 1989-1995. In 1993 Carlin wrote and presented a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary on the South African Third Force
Third Force (South Africa)
The "Third Force" was a term used by leaders of the ANC during the late 1980s and early 1990s to refer to an unknown group believed to be responsible for a surge in violence in KwaZulu-Natal, and townships around and south of the Witwatersrand ....
, his first television work.
From 1995-1998 he was the United States bureau chief for The Independent on Sunday.
In 1997, Carlin wrote an article titled "A Farewell to Arms" for Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
magazine about a cyber warfare attack. This was originally intended to form the basis of a 1999 film, WW3.com. When this project stalled, its script was rewritten into the 2007 film, Live Free or Die Hard
Live Free or Die Hard
Live Free or Die Hard , is a 2007 American action film, and the fourth installment in the Die Hard series. The film was directed by Len Wiseman and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane. The name was adapted from the state motto of New Hampshire, "Live Free or Die"...
(Die Hard 4.0).
In 1998 Carlin joined El País, the world's leading Spanish-language newspaper, where he remains working as a senior international writer, based in Barcelona.
Carlin was writer and interviewer for the 1999 episode The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela of the American PBS series Frontline. It was also broadcast as The First Accused in South Africa by the SABC.
An article by Carlin was the basis for the script of the 2000 Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
documentary Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
- Kicking the Habit. Carlin won the 2000 El País Ortega y Gasset Award
Ortega y Gasset Awards
The Ortega y Gasset Journalism Awards are named after the Spanish philosopher and journalist José Ortega y Gasset. The awards were created by the newspaper El País in 1984....
for journalism, for an article in Spanish newspaper El País. In 2004 he won the British Press Awards "Food and Drink Writer of the Year" prize.
Nelson Mandela
Much of Carlin's career has dealt with the politics of South Africa, leading to a relationship with the former South African president, Nelson MandelaNelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
.
In a 1998 interview, Mandela said of Carlin's journalism "What you wrote and the way in which you carried out your task in this country was absolutely magnificent…it was absolutely inspiring. You have been very courageous, saying things which many journalists would never say." Mandela wrote the foreword to Carlin's 2004 Spanish language book Heroica Tierra Cruel about Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
In August 2008, Carlin published the book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation, about how Mandela used the 1995 Rugby World Cup
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
to reconcile a nation riven by centuries of racial animosity. The book became the basis for Clint Eastwood's 2009 film, Invictus
Invictus (film)
Invictus is a 2009 biographical sports drama film directed by Clint Eastwood starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.The story is based on the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation about the events in South Africa before and during the 1995 Rugby World...
, starring Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
as Mandela.
Other works
In August 2011 Carlin collaborated with tennis superstar Rafael NadalRafael Nadal
Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
on the latter's autobiography Rafa.
Filmography
- War on Peace (Documentary, BBC) (1993) (Writer/Interviewer)
- The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela (Documentary)|PBS Frontline]] (1999) (Writer/Cast)
- Live Free or Die HardLive Free or Die HardLive Free or Die Hard , is a 2007 American action film, and the fourth installment in the Die Hard series. The film was directed by Len Wiseman and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane. The name was adapted from the state motto of New Hampshire, "Live Free or Die"...
(2007) (Script/Article) - InvictusInvictus (film)Invictus is a 2009 biographical sports drama film directed by Clint Eastwood starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.The story is based on the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation about the events in South Africa before and during the 1995 Rugby World...
(2009) (Book) - The 16th Man (Documentary, ESPN) (2010) (Writer/Producer)