Dexter Filkins from Kabul

by Jane Ciabattari | Apr-23-2009

Dexter Filkins, who won this year’s National Book Critics Circle award for nonfiction for “The Forever War,” was honored again last night by the Overseas Press Club, which gave him the Cornelius Ryan award for the best nonfiction book on international affairs. The OPC citation begins. “In his narrative of the Iraq War, Dexter Filkins lives up to his reputation as the best war correspondent of his generation.” All this year’s OPC award winners here.

Filkins, on assignment in Kabul, sent some remarks, presented last night by Jonathan Segal, his editor at Knopf: “I love newspapers. We need them more than ever. Long may they live.” 

The OPC also paid tribute to legendary journalist Ruth Gruber, who reported from onboard the Exodus in 1947. Her niece, Dava Sobel, remembers visiting Gruber here.