People & Trends

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my work is profiling people who are on their way to making a real difference to the planet. Given my location and interests, I tend to focus on inspiring Africans who're making waves as social entrepreneurs, environmentalists, business people and politicians. But I've also profiled Peruvian chefs and Israeli diamond dealers...

I don't only write about individuals. Sometimes groups of people, from different organisations, cities or nations, work towards a common goal - knowingly or unknowingly. These trends and microtrends fascinate me...

People

A young Cameroonian nurse who invented a blood-sharing app. A white-haired Peruvian hotelier who's been using tourism to save species for 40 years. An Ethiopian activist whose fixation with truth has seen him spend decades in prison. These people's stories are so incredible that they pretty much write themselves.

Trends

The surprising rebirth of an ancient wine grape. The unexpected things Africans are doing with faeces and urine. The stoplight prompting families the world over to lift themselves out of poverty. Identifying trends before they happen is one of the most satisfying parts of my job.