From a spur-of-the-moment decision to learn Russian while a sophomore at the University of Toronto, to the streets of Moscow during the collapse of the Soviet Union, Gransden will explore his previous adventures across the world, having lived and worked in Istanbul, Moscow, Vienna, and Mexico City, doing everything from international journalism to filmmaking. His reporting assignments have included war, dictatorship, political upheaval, popular culture, nationalism, civil strife, and economic collapse. How exactly does one break into the job market for foreign correspondent work? What steps and strategies might a young professional adapt to seamlessly transition between careers? Gransden’s Stowe Lecture will unpack these questions while also touching on the work of other celebrated journalists such as Ryszard Kapuscinski and Alastair Cooke.

Greg Gransden is a Montreal-based writer, director, and journalist who was educated at the University of Toronto, Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and the American Film Institute. After his long stint as a foreign correspondent in various countries, he moved back to Canada and settled in Montreal. His work has appeared on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic International, History Television, and others.