I’m Hugo Harvey, an award-winning journalist, presenter and interviewer based in London. Born in Cork and raised in Paris, I’ve since lived in Kent, Oxford and Bristol. I write about identity, place and belonging, and make unscripted interviews that leave room for the unexpected.
My interviewees include Noam Chomsky, Brian Eno, Joy Crookes, Zack Polanski, Maverick Sabre, Rhun ap Iorwerth and Curtisy. I’m interested in how people came to see the world as they do. The research matters; so does knowing when to abandon your next question.
For The Irish Times, I’ve written about being an Irish outsider at Oxford, being thirteen in Paris on the night of the Bataclan attacks, and finding Irish history on my doorstep in east London. Personal experiences tend to be where my stories begin.
In 2026, I won the Orwell Society and NUJ’s Young Journalist Award for “Nothing to Report at Shannon Airport”, examining the Irish government’s response to protest over the airport’s US military presence. Receiving it from Orwell’s son, Richard Blair, meant a great deal: I’ve read Orwell since my teens and admire his determination to say what is happening as clearly as possible.
During a six-month Journo Resources fellowship, I explored whether music journalism is dying or changing shape as print declines and fan communities, blogs and livestreamers grow. At Amelia Dimoldenberg’s Dimz Inc Academy, I spent a month learning production, lighting and multi-camera editing, then pitched an original show, presented it with comedian Victor Kunda, edited it and presented the result with my team to industry executives. There was also a speed date with Amelia on the Chicken Shop Date set. An unusual addition to the training timetable.
My influences include Anthony Bourdain and early VICE. A near-perfect example of the journalism I love is Kareem Rahma’s Damascus episode of Keep the Meter Running: a taxi ride becomes a story about home, memory and loss, as driver Bashar takes him through the city and to the ruins of his childhood home. It’s warm, funny and searching, with room for a story nobody could have scripted beforehand. That’s the kind of work I want to make.
In September 2026, I’ll begin an MA in Broadcast Journalism at City St George’s, University of London, on a full scholarship from the Sekforde House Trust.
My favourite fictional journalist is Ron Burgundy. I’m hoping the MA will provide some other role models.
