Allan Little

James Allan Stuart Little^[1] (b. 11 Oct 1959)^[2] is a special correspondent with the BBC.

Early life

Little was born in Dunragit, a small village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.^[3] He attended Stranraer Academy before attending and graduating from the University of Edinburgh, where he read History and Politics.

Career

Little joined BBC Scotland in 1983 as a news and current affairs researcher, following which he transferred to London in 1985 to train as a radio reporter. He then spent two years with BBC Radio Solent, before moving to the BBC Radio 4's Today programme in 1988 where he specialised in foreign reporting, including the Revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe.

From 1990 to 1995 Little worked as a reporter for BBC News, reporting from Baghdad for the 1991 Gulf war and from Kuwait in the period following the war, covering the Shia rebellions.

From 1991 to 1995, he reported the break-up of Yugoslavia. He co-wrote (with Laura Silber) the acclaimed book The Death of Yugoslavia, which accompanied the celebrated television series of the same name, produced by Norma Percy at Brook Lapping.

In 1995, Little moved to Johannesburg to begin a two-year stint as South Africa correspondent, during which time he reported on the aftermath of the genocide in Rwanda and the overthrow of President Mobutu in Zaire.

In early 1999, Little began work on current affairs projects and to present BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Between 1997 and 1999 Little was the BBC's Moscow correspondent, reporting extensively on the political and economic upheaval of the Boris Yeltsin regime, as well as on major events such as the devastating earthquakes in Afghanistan in 1995.

Little worked as the BBC's Africa correspondent from 2000 to 2001. He was then sent to be the BBC's correspondent in Paris.^[4]

Little announced in December 2014 that he would be leaving the BBC at the end of the year.^[5]

Awards

Little has won several awards including a Gold Sony Radio Award for Reporter of the Year in 1992. Amnesty International Reporter of the Year 1992, In 1994 he was named the Bayeux-Calvados Radio War Correspondent of the Year. Sony Documentary Gold Award in 2000, and the Grierson Premier TV Documentary Award 2001.^[1]

Personal life

He married journalist and broadcaster Sheena McDonald on 21st June 2006.^[6]

References