Stringer - A Reporter's Journey In The Congo

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

First Impressions

20140519

Stringer is Anjan Sundaram's vivid account of self-discovery and danger in the heart of Africa. In 2005, at the age of 22, the decision to become a journalist takes Sundaram to Congo where he spends a year and a half cutting his teeth as a reporter for a news agency. With the 2006 elections approaching he immerses himself in the everyday life of this lawless and war torn country. This intense period takes him deep into the shadowy parts of Kinshasa, to the dense rain forest with an Indian businessman hunting for his fortune, and culminates in the historic and violent elections of 2006.

Anjan Sundaram is an award-winning journalist who has reported from Africa and the Middle East for the New York Times and the Associated Press. He received a Reuters journalism award in 2006 for his reporting on Pygmy tribes in Congo's rain forest.

Read by Riz Ahmed who is best known for his work in film. He has starred in The Road to Guantanamo, Shifty, Four Lions, Ill Manors and The Reluctant Fundamentalist which he also read for Radio 4's Book at Bedtime.

Produced by Elizabeth Allard.

First impressions of Kinshasa, and an encounter with a group of orphaned children.

Changes Of Fortune

20140520

Stringer is Anjan Sundaram's vivid account of self-discovery and danger. In 2005, at the age of 22, the decision to give up a maths Phd to become a journalist takes Sundaram to war torn Congo ahead of the first democratic elections for forty years. Today, a tense encounter compels him to redouble his efforts to find work as a reporter.

Read by Riz Ahmed

Produced by Elizabeth Allard.

A frightening encounter compels Anjan to redouble his efforts to find work as a reporter.

A Journey On The River Congo

20140521

Stringer is Anjan Sundaram's vivid account of self-discovery and danger. In 2005, at the age of 22, the decision to give up a maths Phd to become a journalist takes Sundaram to war torn Congo ahead of the first democratic elections for 40 years. Today, Sundaram leaves the city of Kinshasa behind and travels along the River Congo into the jungle where a chance encounter leaves him unsettled.

Read by Riz Ahmed

Produced by Elizabeth Allard.

A journey along the River Congo leads to new insights for the journalist.

An Interview

20140522

Stringer is Anjan Sundaram's vivid account of self-discovery and danger. In 2005, at the age of 22, the decision to give up a maths Phd to become a journalist takes Sundaram to war torn Congo ahead of the first democratic elections for forty years. Today, he heads east towards the conflict and conducts an extraordinary interview.

Read by Riz Ahmed.

Abridged by Richad Hamilton.

Produced by Elizabeth Allard.

Anjan Sundaram heads east towards the conflict and conducts an extraordinary interview.

05 LAST

The Elections

20140523

Stringer is Anjan Sundaram's vivid account of self-discovery and danger. In 2005, at the age of 22, the decision to give up a maths Phd to become a journalist takes Sundaram to war torn Congo ahead of the first democratic elections for forty years. Today, he observes the elections and is caught up in their disturbing aftermath.

Read by Riz Ahmed.

Abridged by Richad Hamilton.

Produced by Elizabeth Allard.

Anjan Sundaram observes the elections and is caught up in their disturbing aftermath.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
01	First Impressions	20140519	Stringer is Anjan Sundaram's vivid account of self-discovery and danger in the heart of Africa. In 2005, at the age of 22, the decision to become a journalist takes Sundaram to Congo where he spends a year and a half cutting his teeth as a reporter for a news agency. With the 2006 elections approaching he immerses himself in the everyday life of this lawless and war torn country. This intense period takes him deep into the shadowy parts of Kinshasa, to the dense rain forest with an Indian businessman hunting for his fortune, and culminates in the historic and violent elections of 2006. Anjan Sundaram is an award-winning journalist who has reported from Africa and the Middle East for the New York Times and the Associated Press. He received a Reuters journalism award in 2006 for his reporting on Pygmy tribes in Congo's rain forest. Read by Riz Ahmed who is best known for his work in film. He has starred in The Road to Guantanamo, Shifty, Four Lions, Ill Manors and The Reluctant Fundamentalist which he also read for Radio 4's Book at Bedtime. Produced by Elizabeth Allard. First impressions of Kinshasa, and an encounter with a group of orphaned children.
02	Changes Of Fortune	20140520	Stringer is Anjan Sundaram's vivid account of self-discovery and danger. In 2005, at the age of 22, the decision to give up a maths Phd to become a journalist takes Sundaram to war torn Congo ahead of the first democratic elections for forty years. Today, a tense encounter compels him to redouble his efforts to find work as a reporter. Read by Riz Ahmed Produced by Elizabeth Allard. A frightening encounter compels Anjan to redouble his efforts to find work as a reporter.
03	A Journey On The River Congo	20140521	Stringer is Anjan Sundaram's vivid account of self-discovery and danger. In 2005, at the age of 22, the decision to give up a maths Phd to become a journalist takes Sundaram to war torn Congo ahead of the first democratic elections for 40 years. Today, Sundaram leaves the city of Kinshasa behind and travels along the River Congo into the jungle where a chance encounter leaves him unsettled. Read by Riz Ahmed Produced by Elizabeth Allard. A journey along the River Congo leads to new insights for the journalist.
04	An Interview	20140522	Stringer is Anjan Sundaram's vivid account of self-discovery and danger. In 2005, at the age of 22, the decision to give up a maths Phd to become a journalist takes Sundaram to war torn Congo ahead of the first democratic elections for forty years. Today, he heads east towards the conflict and conducts an extraordinary interview. Read by Riz Ahmed. Abridged by Richad Hamilton. Produced by Elizabeth Allard. Anjan Sundaram heads east towards the conflict and conducts an extraordinary interview.
05 LAST	The Elections	20140523	Stringer is Anjan Sundaram's vivid account of self-discovery and danger. In 2005, at the age of 22, the decision to give up a maths Phd to become a journalist takes Sundaram to war torn Congo ahead of the first democratic elections for forty years. Today, he observes the elections and is caught up in their disturbing aftermath. Read by Riz Ahmed. Abridged by Richad Hamilton. Produced by Elizabeth Allard. Anjan Sundaram observes the elections and is caught up in their disturbing aftermath.