Emma Graham-Harrison

Sat 10 Nov 2018 15.00 GMT (The Guardian)

The fearless war correspondent is celebrated in a new book and two films. But any portrayal of her as a tragic heroine must not undermine the power of her life and work

Until a Syrian government attack killed her six years ago, in the desperate, besieged town of Homs, Marie Colvin was the doyenne of Britain’s war reporters, although she would probably have hated the phrase.

She wrote for the Sunday Times, but she didn’t need its seal of authority on her work; her reputation outshone the paper that published her. Colvin was brave, bold, any edge of recklessness blunted by the fact that her work really had achieved what most journalists dream of when they start their career – saving lives by bearing witness.

An eye patch, worn since she lost her sight in one eye to a Sri Lankan rocket-propelled grenade in 2001, became her introduction and trademark. She was also known for her quick wit and sharp tongue. When I first moved to Kabul, grappling with the professional and emotional challenge of pivoting from years reporting about China’s rise to covering Afghanistan’s long and tragic war, I both hoped and feared that I would meet her at the Kabul bar where she drank during trips to the country.

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PODCAST: Shot in Sri Lanka, Shelled in Syria. War correspondent Marie Colvin documented the horrors of war until one of them took her life. DECEMBER 7, 2018, 11:34 AM