Jay Bahadur

Canadian journalist Jay Bahadur visits Australia for the Wheeler Centre and the Brisbane Writers Festival to discuss his book Deadly Waters, an exploration of the world of Somali pirates, with fellow reporter Christine Kenneally.

In his debut book, Jay ventures to the remote pirate havens of Puntland, a region in northeastern Somalia, and tells of the lives of pirates behind the image of opportunistic bands of criminals: how they spend their money, how they conduct business, how they think and why they risk their lives on often suicidal missions. Jay sits down and talks with pirates, the security personnel tasked with combating them, and former hostages who remained captive for months awaiting news of a ransom.

Speaking with Kenneally, he discusses the emergence of modern piracy amidst the political uncertainty and vast poverty of the past two decades in Somalia. He shares the knowledge he’s gathered about the origins, motivations and practices of pirates, as well as the attempts by governments to thwart them and the difficulties posed by clan loyalty.

Presented in partnership with the Brisbane Writers Festival.