Jen Stout: Night Train to Odesa

Chaired by Glenn Campbell In conversation with political editor for BBC Scotland Glenn Campbell, Jen Stout will discuss her book Night Train to Odesa, which recounts her experiences as a reporter covering the human cost of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Jen left Moscow abruptly when Russia invaded Ukraine, ending up on a border post in southeast Romania as she continued to report about people on front lines and in cities across Ukraine: stories of night trains, birthday parties, military hospitals and bunkers. Through her reporting on individuals and relationships, Jen sought to understand questions of identity, history, hopes and fears in this region of Europe. An award-winning journalist and author from Shetland, Jens reporting on Russias war against Ukraine was shortlisted for prizes by Amnesty International, the Foreign Press Association, and the Scottish Press Awards. Night Train to Odesa,her debut non-fiction book, was named First Book of the Year 2024 by the Saltire Society, and was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. The Observer called it a luminous love letter to an embattled nation.