Tim Sebastian

Tim Sebastian (born 13 March 1952)<ref name="manwithquestions" /> is an English television journalist and novelist. He is the moderator of Conflict Zone<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and New Arab Debates<ref>Template:Citation</ref> on Deutsche Welle. He previously worked for the BBC, where he hosted Doha Debates<ref name="msnbc">Template:Citation</ref> and was the first presenter of HARDtalk.<ref name="hardtalk">Template:Cite web</ref> Sebastian also presented Bloomberg TV's The Outsider, an India-focused debating programme.<ref name="Bloomberg">Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He won the Richard Dimbleby Award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1981,<ref name="bafta">Template:Cite web</ref> and was twice designated Royal Television Society Interviewer of the Year in the United Kingdom — once in 2000 and again in 2001.<ref name="manwithquestions">Template:Cite web</ref>

Early life and education

Sebastian was born in London, England. He was educated at Westminster School, a fee-paying independent school in Central London. He holds a BA degree in Modern Languages from New College, Oxford and speaks both German and Russian.<ref name="manwithquestions"/> He has a Diploma in Journalism Studies from Cardiff University, graduating in 1974.

Journalist career

Sebastian began his journalism career at Reuters in 1974, moving to the BBC as foreign correspondent in Warsaw in 1979.<ref name="businessline">Template:Citation</ref> He became BBC's Europe correspondent in 1982. At that time in 1983 in Wrocław, during Martial law in Poland, Tim Sebastian interviewed Kornel Morawiecki, the leader of the Polish anti-Soviet and anti-communist underground organization Fighting Solidarity, hiding from the Polish security service.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Between 1984 and 1985 (until his expulsion from the USSR in 1985<ref name="businessline" />) he was BBC's correspondent for Moscow; he then reported from Washington between 1986 and 1989.<ref name="independent">Template:CitationTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

Sebastian has worked for The Mail on Sunday, and has contributed to The Sunday Times.

Television hosting

Sebastian was the original presenter of HARDtalk when the programme launched in March 1997.<ref name="MeetSackur">Template:Cite web</ref> He hosted the show till March 2007.<ref name="Sebatiantill2007">Template:Cite web</ref> Hard Talk had many notable interviews with world leaders,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> including US Presidents Bill Clinton<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> Donald Trump<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Jimmy Carter,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Archbishop Desmond Tutu,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the last leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He currently hosts Conflict Zone, a one-on-one interview show on Deutsche Welle's international English-language channel.

Debate moderator

Sebastian is a frequent moderator of major conferences, seminars and forums across the globe.

He was the chairman of The Doha Debates, a Qatar Foundation programme that was broadcast monthly on BBC World News where it was the highest-rated weekend programme. The Debates were founded by Sebastian in 2004 and their fifth series began in September 2008.

Following the political and social unrest in Egypt and Tunisia in early 2011, Tim Sebastian founded The New Arab Debates,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which have been held in Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan and were broadcast on Deutsche Welle English<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as well as regional television channels. The debates are also held in Arabic and hosted by Egyptian TV presenter Mai El Sherbiny.

Awards

In 1982, Sebastian was awarded the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Richard Dimbleby Award and was named Television Journalist of the Year by the Royal Television Society. Additionally he has twice won the Royal Television Society's Interviewer of the Year Award for his HARDtalk interviews.

Personal life

His daughter is CNN journalist Clare Sebastian.<ref>Clare minds her language – News Shopper, 28th March 2001</ref><ref>Clare Sebastian profile</ref>

Bibliography

Non-fiction

• Nice Promises: Tim Sebastian in Poland (1985)
• I Spy in Russia (1986)

Novels

• The Spy in Question (1988)
• Spy Shadow (1989)
• Saviour's Gate (1991)
• Exit Berlin (1992)
• The Memory Church (1993)
• Last Rights (1993)
• Special Relations (1994)
• War Dance (1995)
• Ultra (1997)

External links

• "The Doha Debates" website
• Official biography of Tim Sebastian
• Template:IMDb name
• Interview in the Gulf Times: 'Sebastian is looking beyond the stereotypes'
• Interview in Oryx Magazine: 'Courting Controversy'Template:Dead link
• Tim Sebastian and the Doha Debates
• "The New Arab Debates" website