Colum McCann & Diane Foley

In late 2021, Diane Foley sat at a table across from Alexanda Kotey, a member of the ISIS group known as “the Beatles,” who pled guilty to the kidnapping, torture, and murder of her son James Foley seven years before. She asked the legendary writer Colum McCann to be there.

Colum McCann is the internationally bestselling author of ten works of fiction and one nonfiction book. The recipient of many honors, including the National Book Award, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship, he lives in New York City.

Diane Foley is the mother of American freelance conflict journalist James Wright Foley. She founded the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation to advocate for innocent Americans held hostage abroad. She lives in New Hampshire.