Guardian journalist Martin Chulov has won the Orwell journalism prize for his coverage of the Middle East.
Chulov, who has reported from the region since 2005, was recognised for his reporting of the crises across the Arab world and the rise of Islamic State. His reporting has included interviews with the commander of Aleppo’s tunnel forces responsible for blasts that killed Syrian troops, as well as one of Islamic State’s senior commanders, who revealed how the terror group originated inside an Iraqi prison.
Collecting the prize, Chulov said: “The shortlist does justice to the Orwell name and I’m tremendously honoured.”
Chulov was chosen from a shortlist including Rosie Blau (The Economist), Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi (OpenDemocracy.net, Lacuna, New Statesman), Mary Riddell, (The Daily Telegraph), Peter Ross (Scotland on Sunday) and Kim Sengupta (The Independent).
The novelist James Meek has won the Orwell prize for books for his exploration of the privatisation of Britain, Private Island. Alison Holt won the “exposing Britain’s social evils” prize for unveiling cruelty in care homes for elderly.
