Ian Jack is a journalist, author and former newspaper editor who believes that ‘Journalism is often at its most effective when it remembers its humblest duty - to witness and record.’

Jack initially wanted to be a librarian, but diverted into Scottish regional newspapers before heading for London. He became one of the founders of the Independent on Sunday and a long-term editor of Granta magazine, where he was proud to have played a ‘part in the rise of non-fiction amid what is perceived as literature’. His own writing, often involving travel and reportage with a personal, ruminative slant, has been described as being characterised by its ‘sober reasonableness and moral compass’. Jack has a special interest in trains, boats and India.