Ryszard Kapuściński

1932 — 2007

Timeline of his life and work — travels, books, awards and turning points.

1932

Born in Pinsk

Ryszard Kapuściński is born in Pinsk (present-day Belarus). The city then belonged to Poland.

1939

Outbreak of World War II

Kapuściński is 7 years old. Germany invades Poland. The family is forced to evacuate from Pinsk.

1944

Move to Warsaw

After the end of fighting, the Kapuściński family moves to the ruined capital, Warsaw.

1950

History Studies at Warsaw University

Kapuściński begins studies at the History Faculty of the University of Warsaw.

1951

Poetry Debut

First poem published in the weekly Po Prostu. Kapuściński dreams of being a poet, not a reporter.

1953

Gold Cross of Merit

His first state award — for reportages from Nowa Huta. The authorities recognise the young journalist from Sztandar Młodych.

1955

PAP Correspondent

Joins the Polish Press Agency (PAP) as a foreign correspondent. The beginning of his reporting career.

1956

First Travels — India and China

First major foreign trip as a PAP correspondent. India and China transform his view of the world.

1957

Marriage to Alicja Mielczarek

Kapuściński marries Alicja Mielczarek. The marriage lasts until his death in 2007.

1958

First Congo — Birth of a Reporter

His dispatches from war-torn Congo bring Kapuściński true fame. Here he discovers his fascination with countries being born into life.

1960

Africa — Witness to Decolonisation

Kapuściński as the only Polish correspondent covers the fall of colonialism in Africa: Ghana, Nigeria, Congo.

1961

Congo — Coup d'état

Witness to the murder of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba and the chaos following Congolese independence.

1962

The Polish Bush

Literary debut. Reportages from Poland — a portrait of the country in the PRL era.

1962

Black Stars

Reportages from Ghana — the first independent country in sub-Saharan Africa. Portrait of a new Africa.

1963

If the Whole of Africa...

Another book from Africa. Kapuściński describes a continent ablaze with transformation.

1965

Latin America

Travels to Bolivia, Chile, Brazil. Kapuściński follows revolutions and dictatorships in South America.

1967

Che Guevara — Bolivian Diary

Kapuściński edits and prepares Che Guevara's diary from his final guerrilla campaign.

1968

Malaria and Tuberculosis — Return for Treatment

A serious illness forces Kapuściński back to Poland. Malarial meningitis and tuberculosis — the price of years working in extreme conditions.

1968

A Kirghiz Dismounts

Reportages from Central Asia and the USSR. Kapuściński discovers the world behind the Iron Curtain.

1969

Christ with a Rifle on His Shoulder

Reportages from Africa and Latin America. A picture of Third World liberation wars.

1969

The Football War — Reporting from Honduras

Kapuściński as the only correspondent covers the war between Honduras and El Salvador — triggered by a football match.

1973

Why Did Karl von Spreti Die?

A reportage about the kidnapping and murder of a West European diplomat in Guatemala.

1974

Ethiopia — Fall of Haile Selassie

Kapuściński reaches Ethiopia and witnesses the revolution that topples the emperor. Material for a landmark book.

1975

The Emperor

A landmark book. An allegory of any dictatorship — written about the Emperor of Ethiopia, read as a portrait of the communist regime. A bestseller in Poland and worldwide.

1975

Angola — End of Colonialism

Kapuściński covers the civil war and the Portuguese withdrawal from Angola. The only Western reporter at the heart of the conflict.

1976

Another Day of Life

Reportage from Angola 1975. Kapuściński as the only reporter stays in Luanda until the last day of colonialism.

1978

The Soccer War

A collection of reportages from travels across the Third World — Africa, Latin America, Asia.

1979

Iran — Islamic Revolution

Kapuściński in Tehran during the Khomeini revolution. He observes the fall of the Shah from the centre of events.

1979

Theatre Adaptations of The Emperor

Stage adaptations of The Emperor conquer the world — Toronto, Amsterdam, Oslo, Budapest. Kapuściński becomes a global writer.

1982

Shah of Shahs

An essay about the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Analysis of the mechanisms of tyranny and revolution. One of Kapuściński's most important books.

1986

Notes

A poetry collection. Kapuściński returns to his roots — the poetry with which he began in 1951.

1989

USSR — Collapse of the Empire

Kapuściński makes multiple trips to Soviet republics, observing the disintegration of the USSR. Material for Imperium.

1990

Lapidarium

The first of six Lapidarium volumes — collections of aphorisms, observations, and reflections on the world and on writing.

1991

End of Work at PAP

Kapuściński leaves the Polish Press Agency after more than 30 years. He focuses on writing books.

1993

Imperium

A chronicle of the Soviet collapse. Kapuściński travels through 15 Soviet republics documenting the end of the empire. A masterpiece of reportage.

1993

Lapidarium II

The second part of the Lapidaria.

1994

Lapidarium III

The third part of the Lapidaria.

1997

Lapidarium IV

The fourth part of the Lapidaria.

1998

The Shadow of the Sun

Opus magnum on Africa. A synthesis of 40 years of experience on the continent. A bestseller in Poland and abroad, translated into dozens of languages.

1999

Bruder Jakob Award (Germany)

One of his first major foreign prizes — a prestigious German literary award.

2000

From Africa — Photo Album

A photography album from Kapuściński's African travels — a visual complement to The Shadow of the Sun and decades of work on the continent.

2000

Polityka Prize for The Shadow of the Sun

Award from the Polityka weekly for best book of the year.

2001

The World in Motion

A collection of essays and reportages from various parts of the world.

2002

Lapidarium V

The fifth part of the Lapidaria.

2002

Austrian State Prize for European Literature

One of the most prestigious literary prizes in Europe.

2003

Prix Médicis Étranger (France)

Prestigious French literary prize for the best foreign-language book. Kapuściński receives it for Imperium.

2003

Autoportrait of a Reporter

A collection of conversations and interviews with Kapuściński about the craft of reportage and the philosophy of writing.

2004

Travels with Herodotus

His last great book published in his lifetime. A reflection on travel and other cultures through the lens of the ancient historian. A masterpiece.

2004

Honorary Doctorate, Jagiellonian University

Kraków's Jagiellonian University awards Kapuściński an honorary doctorate.

2004

Gold Medal Gloria Artis

Medal of the Minister of Culture for outstanding contributions to Polish culture.

2006

Prince of Asturias Award (Spain)

One of the most prestigious prizes in the world — the Spanish equivalent of the Nobel. Kapuściński joins laureates from across the globe.

2006

The Other

A collection of lectures on the encounter with the Other — a philosophy of multiculturalism and reportage. The last book published in his lifetime.

2007

Death in Warsaw

Ryszard Kapuściński dies on 23 January 2007 in Warsaw. He is 74 years old. Readers from around the world bid him farewell.

2007

Lapidarium VI

The last, sixth part of the Lapidaria — published posthumously from notes left by the writer.

2007

Grand Cross Polonia Restituta

Posthumous state decoration — Poland's highest civilian honour.

2008

Kapuściński Award Inaugurated

The annual Ryszard Kapuściński Award for Literary Reportage is established — Poland's most important distinction in literary journalism.

2013

This Is Not a Profession for Cynics

Posthumous publication — a collection of interviews and conversations on journalistic ethics and the art of reportage.