Lindsey Hilsum | Stories and Poems from the Front Line

For nearly four decades, Channel 4 News International Editor Lindsey Hilsum has reported from the frontlines of history, covering conflicts from Rwanda and Kosovo to Palestine and Ukraine. Throughout her career, she has always carried a book of poetry, finding solace and meaning in verse amid the horrors of war. In Ukraine, she began tweeting a poem a day, and to her surprise, people read, shared, and asked for more—revealing a deep, universal need for poetry in times of crisis.

In this special event, Lindsey shares a selection of her favourite poems, from ancient to modern, by writers across the world. Alongside each, she recounts powerful memories from her work: interviewing Bosnian warlords, meeting child soldiers in Uganda, and giving testimony in Rwanda. With her signature blend of sharp insight, dark humour, and deep humanity, she reflects on the comic absurdity, unexpected love, and lasting scars of war—long after the cameras have gone.

Join Lindsey for an evening of poetry and reflection, as she explores the pity of war—and its fatal attraction.

In conversation with Alex Clark