Best-Selling Author & Prize-Winning Washington Post Columnist
David Ignatius Biography
Washington Post columnist David Ignatius is one of America’s preeminent foreign affairs writers. He has covered politics, economics, the Middle East, and the secret world of intelligence and the CIA for nearly four decades. An NBC analyst and regular guest on Morning Joe, he also writes best selling spy thrillers, including Body of Lies, The Increment, and The Quantum Spy. It has been said that “few people understand espionage culture as well as Ignatius.” The New York Times described him as one of “the wise men of Washington.”
Drawing from more than 40 years of on-the-ground reporting, Ignatius brings to the stage his insights and expertise on the threats to national security, cyberwar, AI and the spread of information. With his ability to explain and edify the most complex issues, Ignatius addresses the forces at play in an increasingly disrupted world and analyzes the implications of growing uncertainty and risk.
For more than 15 years, Ignatius has published his twice-weekly column for The Washington Post. Appearing in scores of newspapers around the world, his column has won the Overseas Press Club Award, the Gerald Loeb Award for Commentary, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Center for Journalists. In 2019, Ignatius won a special George Polk award for his coverage, nine articles in all, of the killing of Post columnist and his colleague Jamal Khashoggi.
Turning his experiences with the CIA into 11 spy novels, Ignatius has been praised for his “unparalleled understanding of the intelligence world.” According to former CIA Director Leon Panetta, “David Ignatius may call it a novel, but for those of us who know the work of the intelligence community, this book is nothing less than a real-life insight into the ongoing battle for dominance in the digital world.” Agents of Innocence, his first novel, is a classic of espionage fiction, drawing on his experiences covering the CIA’s early-80s campaigns in the Middle East. The CIA recommends the book to young recruits and wrote on its website, “Though a novel, senior officers say this book is not fiction.” His next book, Phantom Orbit is expected next year. His other bestsellers include The Director and Body of Lies, which Director Ridley Scott adapted into a feature film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe.
A graduate of Harvard and Cambridge, Ignatius was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and the executive editor of the International Herald Tribune. He has published articles in Foreign Affairs, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, and The New Republic. His first opera libretto, The New Prince, was an adaptation of Machiavelli’s The Prince and premiered at the Dutch National Opera in 2017.
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David Ignatius Speaking Topics
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Foreign Affairs: How to Fix the World.
Ignatius takes listeners on a journey through the major economic and political issues impacting U.S. interests, focusing on such themes as globalization, nationalism, terrorism, and diplomacy. Each speech can be customized to focus on specific “hot spots” around the world, and Ignatius helps audiences understand how the global economy works and shares his thoughts on the future.
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Washington Slide Show.
This talk focuses on the personalities in Washington, DC, that are impacting today’s major events. From first-hand interviews with presidents, high-level cabinet members, and leading members of Congress, Ignatius provides audiences an understanding of the most important forces impacting the debate on U.S. policies both at home and abroad. He also speaks on the coverage of the news, the role of the media, and the interaction between reporters and newsmakers.
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How do I book David Ignatius to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like David Ignatius for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for David Ignatius, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for David Ignatius or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for David Ignatius
Speaking fees for David Ignatius, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book David Ignatius are $30,000 - $50,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire David Ignatius, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does David Ignatius speak about?
David Ignatius is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Author, Business, Fiction Authors, Journalist, Security & Defense, World Affairs -
Where does David Ignatius travel from?
David Ignatius generally travels from Washington, DC, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is David Ignatius’s agent?
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David Ignatius is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Foreign Affairs: How to Fix the World., Washington Slide Show. and America’s National Security. . The estimated speaking fee range to book David Ignatius for your event is $30,000 - $50,000. David Ignatius generally travels from Washington, DC, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Robert D. Kaplan, Jeffrey Goldberg, Andrew Sullivan, Norman Ornstein and Lionel Barber. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling David Ignatius for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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