About This Event

Jeremy Bowen is one of the world’s most experienced and respected foreign correspondents, having reported from the heart of global conflict zones for more than four decades. As the BBC’s International Editor, he has covered wars and crises across more than 90 countries, from El Salvador in 1989 to Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, Sudan and Yemen. Throughout his career, Bowen has interviewed world leaders, documented war crimes, and reported from the front lines under extreme personal risk, driven by a commitment to bearing witness and telling the stories others would prefer remain hidden. In Truth Under Fire, Bowen examines a changing world where access to conflict zones is increasingly restricted, information is manipulated, and journalists are actively discredited or silenced. As governments control narratives and social media floods audiences with competing claims, he explores what truth means in modern warfare and how it can still be verified. Drawing on firsthand experience, Bowen explains why press freedom is collapsing in conflict zones and what it means when journalists themselves become targets. The event concludes with an audience Q&A, offering a rare opportunity to engage directly with a journalist whose life’s work has been dedicated to getting as close to the truth as possible — even when that truth is dangerous.

Staying overnight?

Hotels within walking distance of Octagon Centre.

Frequently asked questions