CURRICULUM VITAE

John Carlin

Born London, 12 May 1956

2018

Full-on with documentary series to be aired in 2019

Weekly column for La Vanguardia ((Barcelona) and Clarín (Buenos Aires)

‘Mandela and the General’, graphic novel with illustrator Oriol Malet. Published originally in French in June, soon in English (the US) and in Spanish (Spain).

Commencement speech for Universidad Ramon Llull graduates at Basilica de Santa María del Mar, Barcelona

2017

El Pais informed me by letter on 10 October that my contract with them had been terminated, apparently for having written article in the London Times that the bosses (and the Spanish government) did not like

Two film documentary projects launched (more later)

Work on a graphic novel, or “comic”, that will be published in France in 2018

2016

Wrote many articles on Brexit, the Colombian peace process and Trump

Gave several speeches in Colombia and Argentina, where I had meetings with the presidents of both countries

Developed film and book projects which will come to fruition in 2017

Left Twitter for good

2015

Writing for el País, Financial Times, Sunday Times.

Speeches in Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, France, Spain.

Appearances on various TV and radio shows in UK, Ireland, Spain, Poland and all over Latin America.

2014

“Chase Your Shadow: the Trials of Oscar Pistorius” published November/December by Atlantic Books in UK and Commonwealth, Penguin Books in South Africa, Harper Collins in US. Also published in Spain, France, Italy, Holland and (March 2015) Germany.

Speeches on Mandela and leadership in UK, Spain, Argentina.

Ad campaign with Rafa Nadal.

2013

“Knowing Mandela: a personal potrait”, published in December 2013 by Harper Collins in the US, Atlantic Books in UK and Ireland and Commonwealth, Penguin Books in South Africa. Publishing rights sold also in France, Italy, Greece and Spain.

New book in progress on Oscar Pistorius and South Africa post-Mandela, deals so far with publishers in USA, UK, France, Germany, Holland

CBS TV analyst on Nelson Mandela

Speeches before business audiences on Mandela, leadership and negotiation

2012

Articles for the Financial Times

Series of speeches and media interviews on conflict resolution in Colombia and talk in British Museum on Shakespeare

Pre-production on feature documentary about Barcelona Football Club, director Paul Greengrass

2011

Book on Rafael Nadal titled “Rafa: my story” co-authored with Nadal.

2004-2010

Book on Nelson Mandela titled ‘Playing the Enemy’ "Invictus" (Penguin Press USA; Atlantic Books, UK/SA/Commonwealth) first published in August 2008, translated into 14 languages, made into a Warner Bros film named ‘Invictus’, 2009 in the US, starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, directed by Clint Eastwood. Released in December 2010 in USA. Released in Europe and the rest of the world in January and February 2010

Senior international writer for El País, the world’s leading newspaper in the Spanish language

Articles for the London Observer, Independent, Sunday Times, New York Times and others

Release of film ‘Die Hard 4’, starring Bruce Willis, based on article in ‘Wired’ magazine in the US, whose rights I sold to 20th Century Fox

2004

Published two books, “Heroica Tierra Cruel” (Seix Barral), on Africa, foreword written by Nelson Mandela; and “White Angels” (Bloomsbury) on Real Madrid, published in Britain, Spain, the United States, China, Japan and Brazil

Finalist for 2004 “William Hill British Sports Book of the Year”

Winner 2004 British Press Awards “Food and Drink Writer of the Year”

1998-2003

Winner in 2000 of the top Spanish journalism award, the Ortega y Gasset prize, for article on immigration for el País.

Articles for the London Independent; London Daily Telegraph; the London Observer; New Statesman; New York Times, Time magazine, the Wall Street Journal, Folha de Sao Paulo and others.

Interviewer and writer of Emmy-nominated PBS (USA) ‘Frontline’ documentary, ‘the Long Walk of Nelson Mandela’; script writer and consultant for Channel Four television documentary, ‘Kicking the Habit’, on Diego Maradona; interviewer and consultant for Channel Four televisions documentary on England-Argentina soccer rivalry

1995-1998

US bureau chief, based in Washington, for the (London) Independent on Sunday.

Articles for Wired; Spin; Conde Nast Traveler; Punch; New Statesman.
Weekly columnist for South Africa’s Sunday Independent.

1989-1995

South Africa bureau chief, based in Johannesburg, for the London Independent; three nominations for British foreign correspondent of the year award

Freelance articles for New Republic and others.

A number of TV and radio documentaries for the BBC on Winnie Mandela (Sony Award winner Best Radio documentary), South Africa’s “Third Force” and other topics.

1986-1989

Mexico and Central America bureau chief for the London Independent, based in Mexico City and Managua.

BBC radio documentaries on various subjects.

1982-1986

Correspondent for Times of London, BBC World Service, ABC Radio (US), CBC Radio (Canada), Toronto Star covering Mexico and Central America, based in Mexico City and,in 1984, San Salvador.

1981-1982

Sports reporter, film critic and political writer for Buenos Aires Herald, Argentina.

Education

MA, English Language and Literature, Oxford University