Dame Ann Leslie to Visit Birmingham

29 January 2009

One of Fleet Street’s top journalists has been lined up by Birmingham Press Club for a celebrity dinner event in May.

Ann Leslie, who was made a Dame in the 2007 New Year’s honours, is to visit the Midlands to talk about her lengthy – and exciting – career as a reporter for the ‘Daily Mail’.

In her time on the ‘Mail’, Dame Ann has been shot at by Bosnian snipers, stood beside the prison gates when Nelson Mandela was released, witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall – and was taught how to play poker by Count Basie.

Born in India, Dame Ann began work in the 1960s at the Manchester office of the ‘Daily Express’, quickly graduating to rival publication the ‘Mail’.

After having begun her career writing show business stories (which resulted in memorable interviews with the likes of David Niven, James Mason, Merle Oberon and Muhammed Ali), she switched to the role of foreign correspondent.

Since then, she has covered many of the key moments of the history of the world, including various wars, five superpower summits and every US presidential election since 1976. She has reported from more than 70 countries.

Still writing regularly for the ‘Mail’, Dame Ann has recently published her autobiography, ‘Killing My Own Snakes’.

Press Club chairman John Lamb said: “We are delighted to be celebrating the career of one of the greatest ever reporters – surely an accolade to which every journalist aspires.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to make her an honorary life member of the Press Club and look forward to hearing from one of the media’s greatest figures.”

Dame Ann said of her forthcoming visit: “On and off, I've done work in Birmingham but this is the first time I'll be coming here for fun!”