Washington Post Columnist Sebastian Mallaby Joins Council to Write Book on World Bank

January 31, 2003 - Sebastian Mallaby, on leave from the Washington Post and former writer for The Economist, has joined the Council on Foreign Relations as senior fellow in International Development. He will write a book on the World Bank under the tenure of James Wolfensohn.

“Sebastian Mallaby is one of the few people capable of explaining what’s been happening with the World Bank under James Wolfensohn in a fair-minded, readable way; and that bank remains one of the centerpieces of the international economy,” said Council President Leslie H. Gelb.

Through interviews with Wolfensohn and key outside sources, Mallaby will provide a much-needed focus on the views of politicians, nongovernmental advocacy groups, and others toward the World Bank’s policies and programs. At the end of the year he will resume his Post duties as an editor and columnist, writing about economics and globalization.

Before joining the Washington Post, Mallaby spent 13 years as writer and bureau chief at The Economist. Based in Zimbabwe from 1989 to 1990, he covered the prison release of Nelson Mandela and the independence of Namibia. In 1992 he published a book, After Apartheid: The Future of South Africa, which was listed by the New York Times as one of the “most notable books of the year.”

Mallaby is a frequent speaker on American issues, addressing both business and academic audiences. He has contributed to the New York Times and the New Republic, and has published articles in Foreign Affairs. He has commented on numerous radio and TV shows, including CNN’s Crossfire and PBS’s The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer. Mallaby holds a First Class degree in modern history from Oxford University.

Contact: Lisa Shields, Director of Communications, 212-434-9888