Journalist Fergal Keane reads from his memoir about his struggle with PTSD. Today, he recounts his experiences of covering Rwanda's genocide, and how bearing witness to the horror meted out over hundred days in 1994 continues to impact his mental health.

The Madness is Fergal Keane's account of his personal struggle with trauma. Here he looks back to the events and relationships that shaped his childhood and laid the groundwork for his PTSD, before reaching the turning point when he went to Rwanda to cover the genocide that took place in 1994. The personal impact of the brutality he saw eventually led to a breakdown in his mental health, and was followed by a long road to recovery that remains tough and constantly testing.

Fergal Keane OBE has covered most of the world's conflicts over the past thirty years for the BBC. In 2020, he announced that he was stepping down as the BBC's Africa editor because of his ongoing struggles with PTSD. He is an award winning writer, and has been awarded a BAFTA, an Emmy and the Orwell Prize for political writing. He continues to work for the BBC as a Special Correspondent, and to write.

The music is Late Fragment (wordless) and is composed and performed by Daniel Keane.

Abridged by Julian Wilkinson
Produced by Elizabeth Allard. Show less