Tributes paid to former Africa correspondent, who died in Paris after sudden infectionAlex Duval Smith, the Guardian’s former Africa correspondent and most recently a freelance journalist across west Africa, has died aged 55. Duval Smith had been undergoing intensive treatment for lung cancer diagnosed in August last year. “She was hugely energetic, endlessly curious, generous, versatile, good-humoured, and could write from anywhere,” said Simon Tisdall, a former Guardian foreign editor, who first encouraged Duval Smith to move into reporting from subediting. Paul Webster, the editor of the Observer, said Duval Smith was “a great reporter”. Helena Nordstrand, a Swedish photographer with whom Duval Smith worked closely, said she had “the greatest hunger for life of anyone I know”.

Source: The Guardian December 09, 2019 15:33 UTC