Meeting Phillip Knightley

by Emma Bower

With knots in my stomach I knocked on the imposing door of a beautiful Georgian style town house. The address had proven almost impossible to find and it seemed that the plethora of faces I had asked for directions, were as clueless about the area as I was. But I was here at last and about to meet the grandfather of investigative journalism - Phillip Knightley.

With articles exposing the Kim Philby spy scandal, the Profumo sex scandal and the effects of thalidomide on new-born babies under his belt-to name but a few- Knightley is truly one of the greatest investigative journalists.

I, a mere student, barely even taken flight into the world of journalism, have been asked to assist in preparing Knightley's archive of investigations before they make their way to London College of Communication.

Once inside, Knightley made me feel extremely welcome and showed me to his library. The room, with books and files of Knightley's work standing juxtapose along three walls, was a journalist's treasure trove waiting to be explored.

I left, laden with two Sainbury's bags full of clippings, correspondence and photographs to sort through and categorise. What an amazing and inspiring experience that this turned out to be.

From looking at just the small selection that I had taken away, it was clear that Phillip Knightley is truly passionate about journalism, not only what he writes himself but also the work of others.

Amongst his own clippings, notes and research there were clippings of pieces that he had found interesting and it was delightful to delve into his world for a few hours.