Oggy Boytchev

Oggy Boytchev is a veteran BBC journalist, producer and author who has reported from more than 40 countries and the world’s major conflict zones over a career spanning three decades. After escaping communist Bulgaria in 1986, he joined the BBC World Service and went on to work across Radio 4 and BBC Television, covering global affairs alongside the BBC’s World Affairs Editor, John Simpson.

Oggy has produced some of the most memorable news reports and documentaries for the BBC, often from the frontlines of war and international crisis. His critically acclaimed memoir, Simpson & I, offers a behind-the-scenes account of this turbulent yet historic partnership. His later works include The Unbeliever, a Cold War thriller based on real intelligence archives, and BULLION – The Mystery of Gaddafi’s Gold, a 2023 spy novel inspired by real-world geopolitics.

Now an author and speaker, Oggy contributes to The European on global affairs, media, travel, and the human stories behind international conflict and diplomacy.