His reporting has been honoured with His reporting has been honoured with an Amnesty International Press award an Amnesty International Press award and an OBE for services to journalism. and an OBE for services to journalism. Alcohol is an occupational hazard for journalists; for me it went from being the comforting, relaxing presence that calmed the aftermath of witnessing bloody violence, to a self destructive compulsion, that taken to its logical conclusion would have taken my life just as I had seen it take the careers, marriages and lives of good friends and colleagues in newspapers and broadcasting. From Our Own Correspondent was my favourite programme - the greatest vehicle for storytelling anywhere on the BBC - and I didn't see how the arrival of one reporter's child might possibly engage the audience. People criticise Keane for being People criticise Keane for being melodramatic in these paragraphs. He melodramatic in these paragraphs. He “overdoes” the drama and emotion of the “overdoes” the drama and emotion of the moment. Keane was not there and has moment. Keane was not there and has made some of his narrative up (based on made some of his narrative up (based on facts) for dramatic effect. So is the setting facts) for dramatic effect. So is the setting made to seem worse to emphasise his made to seem worse to emphasise his mother’s struggles and hardships?mother’s struggles and hardships?

youyou think is Fergal Keane’sthink is Fergal Keane’s main purposemain purpose for writing this for writing this letter. letter. The writer also helps to convey emotion and feelings throughout the letter by using an appropriate tone. I can see that Keane uses a personal tone at first as he uses words such as “you” and “I” repeatedly. This emphasises the sincerity of his letter and helps to convey his thoughts and emotions. However his tone changes to a more formal one when he begins to describe the disasters and darkness that he has faced as a reporter. He contrasts his child’s actions with these disasters and I can see this through the writer’s wordchoice. He describes his son with gentle and innocent images such as “sleeping face” “sigh” “gurgle” “glory” “prizes” and “praise”. Because Fergal Keane has used Because Fergal Keane has used very precise detail in his letter to very precise detail in his letter to his son, the reader is given much his son, the reader is given much more powerful imagery and a real more powerful imagery and a real sense of what Keane writes about.sense of what Keane writes about. Suggests that the feeling of Suggests that the feeling of happiness is so great it outweighs happiness is so great it outweighs the tiredness which accompanies the the tiredness which accompanies the birth of a child.birth of a child.Setting - The word suggests the Setting - The word suggests the comfort and peace brought into his comfort and peace brought into his life by the son.life by the son. Suddenly the birth of child has made Suddenly the birth of child has made his memories much more painful as his memories much more painful as he can now imagine the same pain he can now imagine the same pain being inflicted on his own son. His being inflicted on his own son. His detachment as a professional detachment as a professional reporter has been lostreporter has been lostAnd, as I've said, I found my father. In those shivering early morning hours before I quit, in hotels across the world, I think I was touched by some of the pain he knew as alcohol was claiming more of his life and spirit, that steady, incremental departure of hope. The setting also has a significant role to play in triggering an emotional response from the reader in the opening paragraphs. Keane creates a peaceful and tranquil setting in the opening paragraphs through his word choice. He says " there is a soft quiet in our apartment". This highlights the calm silence of his apartment and also emphasises the When I read the Letter now, and I remember that morning with the baby asleep in my lap, I see a young father about to start out on the greatest adventure of his life. He doesn't know that yet, of course.

It is possible to live a faithful life while surrounded by pagan influences, if one serves the Lord wholeheartedly (ch. 1). protective of Daniel. In Rwanda people were trying to kill each other because they were different race. In Fergal Keane's essay "letter To Daniel" the writer The wordchoice of “huddled together”, “holding” and “cling” shows the sacred image between mother and child. He also conveys this idea when he is writing about his mother; I said I would think about it. But I didn't 'think'. Instead, one morning early, sitting up with the baby in one arm, I just started to write. Directly to my son. Keane says, "foolish though it may seem, I hoped that in some way he could hear across the infinity between the living and the dead your proud statement of arrival." This reinforces the idea of acceptance.

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The text takes the format of a letter from a new father to his newly born son. Keane uses this to reflect on his life experience as not only a new father but also a war correspondent. It also reflects on the horrors of child suffering he has witnessed, his relationship with his alcoholic father and how fatherhood clearly changes his outlook on life. By the final stage of the letter Keane reflects on the birth of his son and the tone changes again to one of optimism and hope. Keane reflects on all aspects of his life to date and begins to not only accept but also forgive his father in spite of his faults. He says, "I thought of your grandfather". This highlights that Keane has forgiven him as he is talking about him as if he is still one of the family. In the final section he tells a ‘story’ which is clearly about his own origins – In the final section he tells a ‘story’ which is clearly about his own origins – but from an omniscient narrative stance. This section should allow you to but from an omniscient narrative stance. This section should allow you to consider the issue of the real and the imagined in non-fiction, perhaps consider the issue of the real and the imagined in non-fiction, perhaps agreeing that, in non-fiction it is the facts that are conveyed which matter, agreeing that, in non-fiction it is the facts that are conveyed which matter, regardless of how the descriptive or narrative detail might have been regardless of how the descriptive or narrative detail might have been manipulated to creative effect. manipulated to creative effect.