Ryszard Kapuściński was a renowned Polish journalist, photographer, poet, and author, born on March 4, 1932, in Pinsk, which was then part of Poland and is now in Belarus. He passed away on January 23, 2007, in Warsaw.

Kapuściński gained international acclaim for his unique literary reportage that combines thorough documentation, personal experiences, and a deep understanding of the regions and people he wrote about. His work is celebrated for blurring the lines between reportage and literature, often incorporating allegory and magical realism.

He served as the only correspondent for the Communist-era Polish Press Agency in Africa during decolonization and also worked in South America and Asia. Over his career, he reported on 27 revolutions and coups and was jailed 40 times, surviving four death sentences. His support for the pro-democracy Solidarity movement in Poland led to his firing in 1981.

Notable works by Kapuściński include: Jeszcze dzień życia (1976; Another Day of Life), Cesarz (1978; The Emperor, 1983), Wojna futbolowa (1978; The Soccer War, 1991), Szachinszach (1982; Shah of Shahs, 2006), Imperium (1993), Heban (1998; The Shadow of the Sun, 2001), and Podróże z Herodotem (2004; Travels with Herodotus).

His literary achievements earned admiration from contemporary writers such as Tiziano Terzani, Gabriel García Márquez, and Luis Sepúlveda, who called him "Maestro" and acknowledged his significant impact on the genre.