Misha Glenny: The Journalist Behind McMafia and In Our Time
From reporting across Eastern Europe to writing McMafia and taking over one of BBC Radio 4’s best-known programmes, Misha Glenny has built a career around journalism, history, crime, and international affairs.
Introduction
Misha Glenny is a British journalist, author, and broadcaster. He is best known for reporting on Eastern Europe and the former Yugoslavia, writing books such as McMafia and DarkMarket, and presenting BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time.
His career covers several decades.
It also changed direction many times.
Glenny started with European reporting. He later wrote about organised crime and cybercrime. Then, in January 2026, he became the presenter of In Our Time, succeeding longtime host Melvyn Bragg.
As of September 2026, that remains his main verified public role.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full professional name | Misha Glenny |
| Date of birth | 25 April 1958 |
| Age in 2026 | 68 |
| Birthplace | London, England |
| Profession | Journalist, author, broadcaster |
| Education | University of Bristol |
| Degree | BA in Drama and German |
| Graduation year | 1980 |
| Known for | McMafia, Eastern Europe reporting, In Our Time |
| Current role | Presenter of BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time |
| Former major role | Rector of the Institute for Human Sciences |
| IWM tenure | May 2022 to March 2026 |
| Wife | Kirsty Lang |
| Major subjects | Organised crime, cybersecurity, Balkans, Eastern Europe, geopolitics |
Who Is Misha Glenny?
Misha Glenny is a journalist who built his name through international reporting.
His early work focused heavily on Central and Eastern Europe. That put him close to some of the biggest political changes of the late twentieth century.
He reported as communist governments collapsed.
Then came the Yugoslav wars.
His first-hand knowledge of the region later fed into his books, journalism, public talks, and academic work.
But Glenny did not stay focused on one subject.
He moved into organised crime.
Then cybercrime.
Later came wider geopolitical analysis.
That mix explains why his work has appeared across newspapers, books, universities, radio, and television-linked projects.
Misha Glenny’s Age and Early Life
Misha Glenny was born on 25 April 1958 in London, England.
That makes him 68 years old in 2026.
His connection with Eastern Europe started early.
His father, Michael Glenny, worked as a translator of Russian literature and related material. Glenny has publicly said that his father helped spark his interest in Eastern European history.
There is also a simple story behind his first name.
“Misha” is a Russian diminutive of Michael. Glenny has explained that his father used the name to distinguish him from himself.
His family later moved from London to Oxford.
That cultural background mattered.
It helped set a direction.
Years later, Eastern Europe became one of the main areas of Glenny’s professional work.
Education
Glenny studied at the University of Bristol.
He completed a BA in Drama and German in 1980.
That may sound quite different from international journalism.
Actually, it fits part of the story.
His knowledge of German and interest in Europe gave him useful grounding for the reporting work that followed.
He later carried out postgraduate research at Charles University in Prague.
Living and studying in Central Europe gave him closer contact with the region before it became the centre of much of his journalism.
How His Journalism Career Started
Glenny worked at Verso Books during the early 1980s.
From 1983 to 1986, he served as an East European commissioning editor.
Then journalism took over.
From 1986 to 1988, he worked as The Guardian’s Central European correspondent, based in Vienna.
The location put him close to major political developments across the region.
His BBC career followed.
From 1989 to 1993, he worked as the BBC’s Central Europe correspondent.
This was a huge period for Europe.
Communist governments fell across Eastern Europe. Yugoslavia broke apart. War followed.
Glenny reported during those events.
That reporting became an important part of his public reputation.
Reporting on Yugoslavia and the Balkans
The Balkans became one of Glenny’s strongest areas of expertise.
His reporting on Yugoslavia led into book-length work.
In 1992, he published The Fall of Yugoslavia: The Third Balkan War.
The book examined the collapse of Yugoslavia and the conflict that followed.
It received the Cornelius Ryan Award for Best Book on Foreign Affairs from the Overseas Press Club.
A year later, Glenny received a Sony broadcasting award linked to his reporting from Eastern Europe and the former Yugoslavia.
He kept writing about the region.
In 1999, he published The Balkans: Nationalism, War and the Great Powers.
The book looked across a much longer historical period rather than focusing only on the wars of the 1990s.
It became one of his best-known works.
McMafia and Organised Crime
Glenny later changed focus.
Crime became central.
His book McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld was published in 2008.
The subject was much bigger than street crime.
Glenny examined organised criminal networks working across national borders, financial systems, businesses, black markets, and political environments.
The book brought his work to a wider audience.
It also gave him perhaps his most recognisable book title.
McMafia was later used as the basis for a BBC and AMC television drama of the same name.
The drama was fictional.
Glenny’s book was non-fiction.
That distinction matters.
The original work examined real patterns in international organised crime rather than telling the fictional story used for television.
DarkMarket and Cybercrime
Cybercrime became another major subject.
In 2011, Glenny published DarkMarket.
The book examined hackers, online criminal markets, cybercrime investigations, and the people trying to stop them.
This came at a time when online crime was becoming much harder for governments and businesses to ignore.
Glenny also wrote journalism about information security.
His work received recognition through the BT Information Security Journalism Awards.
One fact needs careful wording.
BT’s 2012 records confirm that Glenny won the Best Investigative Feature of the Year award.
Some later profiles describe a different award title or year.
For publishing, the BT record is the safer source.
Other Major Books
Glenny has written several books covering crime, politics, and international affairs.
His better-known works include:
- The Fall of Yugoslavia
- The Balkans: Nationalism, War and the Great Powers
- McMafia
- DarkMarket
- Nemesis
Nemesis, published in 2015, focused on Antônio Francisco Bonfim Lopes, known as Nem, and the criminal world surrounding Rio de Janeiro’s Rocinha favela.
Again, Glenny was looking at crime through a wider lens.
Politics mattered.
Economics mattered.
Local conditions mattered too.
That approach became a recurring part of his work.
Academic and Research Work
Glenny has also worked around universities and research institutions.
He held a fellowship at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington during the 1990s.
He later taught or held visiting positions connected with institutions including:
- London School of Economics
- Columbia University
- University College London
In 2012, he served as a visiting professor at Columbia University’s Harriman Institute.
His professional work therefore moved between journalism, books, broadcasting, research, and teaching.
Institute for Human Sciences
In May 2022, Glenny became Rector of the Institute for Human Sciences, commonly known as IWM, in Vienna.
The institute works with academics, writers, researchers, and public thinkers from different countries.
Glenny remained Rector until 31 March 2026.
So, he should not be described as the current IWM Rector.
He is the former Rector.
His departure was linked to another major move in his broadcasting career.
Misha Glenny and In Our Time
January 2026 brought a major change.
Glenny became presenter of BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time.
The programme had long been associated with broadcaster Melvyn Bragg.
Glenny took over after Bragg’s departure.
His first programme as presenter aired in January 2026.
The format remains centred on discussions with academics and specialists about subjects including history, philosophy, science, literature, religion, and culture.
It is quite different from breaking-news journalism.
But Glenny’s background fits it.
He has spent decades interviewing people, studying history, explaining international events, and working with academic institutions.
By September 2026, he was still presenting the programme.
The BBC also expanded In Our Time into video editions on iPlayer while keeping the Radio 4 and BBC Sounds versions.
That makes the programme Glenny’s main current public-facing role.
Misha Glenny’s Wife
Misha Glenny is married to Kirsty Lang.
Lang is a British journalist and broadcaster.
Their marriage has been confirmed in recent mainstream reporting, including coverage published in 2026.
Glenny has spoken publicly about parts of his family life in previous interviews.
Still, his professional work is far better documented than many private family details, so only firmly confirmed information belongs in a reliable profile.
British and Irish Citizenship
Glenny has long publicly identified as British.
There is a newer detail too.
In 2026, The Irish Times reported that he had obtained Irish citizenship through his Newry-born grandfather.
That gives him a publicly documented connection with Ireland through his family.
What Is Misha Glenny Doing Now?
As of September 2026, Misha Glenny is presenting BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time.
That is the clearest answer.
He left his position as Rector of IWM at the end of March 2026 so he could concentrate on the BBC programme.
He also continues to be associated with writing, public discussion, and international affairs.
His recent career is less about daily foreign reporting and more about broadcasting, analysis, books, and long-form discussion.
Why Is Misha Glenny Famous?
There is no single answer.
His reputation came in stages.
First, he became known for reporting from Central and Eastern Europe.
Then his work on Yugoslavia and the Balkans built his standing as an author.
McMafia pushed his name toward a much wider audience.
DarkMarket connected him with debates about cybercrime.
Now, a new audience knows him as the presenter of In Our Time.
Quite a career shift.
Yet the subjects connect.
Most of his work asks how power works, how societies change, how criminal or political networks cross borders, and how history shapes current events.
Awards and Recognition
Glenny’s confirmed professional recognition includes the Cornelius Ryan Award for The Fall of Yugoslavia.
He also received recognition for his broadcasting work relating to Eastern Europe.
His cybersecurity journalism later received an award from the BT Information Security Journalism Awards.
These honours cover three different areas of his career: books, broadcasting, and specialist journalism.
Interesting Facts About Misha Glenny
Glenny did not study journalism at university. His degree was in Drama and German.
His professional name has Russian roots. “Misha” is commonly used as a diminutive of Michael.
He worked for both The Guardian and the BBC as a Central Europe correspondent.
His best-known crime book later inspired a major television series.
He moved from reporting wars and revolutions to studying organised crime and hackers.
Then, decades after his original BBC correspondent work, he returned to a prominent BBC presenting role.
Final Thought
Misha Glenny’s career is hard to fit into one label.
Journalist works.
Author does too.
So does broadcaster.
His early reputation came from reporting on Eastern Europe and Yugoslavia. Books such as The Balkans, McMafia, and DarkMarket then took his work into history, organised crime, and cybersecurity.
Now the focus has shifted again.
As of September 2026, he is best described as the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time, while his earlier reporting and books remain the work that established his public reputation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Misha Glenny?
Misha Glenny is a British journalist, author, and broadcaster known for reporting on Eastern Europe, writing McMafia, and presenting BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time.
How old is Misha Glenny?
He was born on 25 April 1958, making him 68 years old in 2026.
What is Misha Glenny doing now?
As of September 2026, he presents BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time.
Who is Misha Glenny’s wife?
He is married to journalist and broadcaster Kirsty Lang.
What is Misha Glenny famous for?
He is known for his reporting from Eastern Europe and the Balkans, his books on organised crime and cybersecurity, and his BBC broadcasting work.
Did Misha Glenny write McMafia?
Yes. He wrote McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld, published in 2008.
Was Misha Glenny the Rector of IWM?
Yes. He served as Rector of the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna from May 2022 until 31 March 2026.
Where did Misha Glenny study?
He studied Drama and German at the University of Bristol and later carried out postgraduate research at Charles University in Prague.
