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ABC’s James Longman on Family, Trauma, and Reporting from the Frontlines

ABC News Chief International Correspondent James Longman has witnessed the extremes of human existence firsthand

Having reported from over sixty countries, from the front lines of wars in Ukraine and Syria to the wilds of the Antarctic, ABC News Chief International Correspondent James Longman has witnessed the extremes of human existence firsthand.

But the story that has stayed with him the longest is closer to home. In his new memoir, The Inherited Mind, James applies his journalistic skills to explore a family legacy marked by mental illness, and the science and people that shape us.

James was just a preteen at boarding school when his father, who struggled with depression and schizophrenia, died by suicide. His uncle was also diagnosed with schizophrenia, and his grandfather also ended his life. As James grew older, his own battles with depression led him to examine how his father’s mental health might have influenced his own. Drawing on conversations with leading experts, he delves into the science of inheritance, the impact of environment on genetic predispositions, and how one can overcome a familial history of mental illness and trauma.

On January 30, James was koined in conversation with longtime friend, barrister and broadcaster Rob Rinder for a powerful discussion on family, resilience, and frontline reporting, live at the Kiln Theatre in London.


Speakers

Speaker

James Longman

ABC Chief International Correspondent


Foreign correspondent for ABC News. He has won News Emmys for his reporting on the climate crisis and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and a David Bloom Award for his reporting on LGBTQ+ abuses in Chechnya. Longman was previously at the BBC, where he served as a Beirut correspondent. He started his career as a freelance journalist in Syria, where he reported undercover for British newspapers. His new book is The Inherited Mind: A Story of Family, Hope, and the Genetics of Mental Illness.
Host

Rob Rinder

Broadcaster and Barrister


Criminal barrister, broadcaster and Sunday Times best-selling author. Called to the bar in 2001, he went on to specialise in cases involving international fraud, money laundering and other forms of financial crime, while working in media to make law more accessible. He started his broadcast career with Judge Rinder for ITV before going on to host his own BBC 5Live series Raising the Bar. He has previously hosted for ITV’s Good Morning Britain, and most recently presented Channel 4’s Britain Behind Bars: A Secret History. In 2021 he was awarded an MBE for services to Holocaust education and awareness.