Journalism’s Toughest Assignment: An Exclusive Evening with Author Noel-Marie Fletcher
Reporting History: A Deep Dive into the Nuremberg Trials with Noel-Marie Fletcher
ALEXANDRIA, VA —
Award-winning foreign correspondent and author, Noel-Marie Fletcher, will visit Elaine’s Restaurant in Old Town, Alexandria, on Thursday, July 16, for an intimate conversation about her acclaimed book, Reporting The Nuremberg Trials: How Journalists Covered Live Nazi Trials & Executions. Fletcher’s research offers readers a behind-the-scenes look at how journalists covered one of history’s most consequential war crimes trials.
Reporting the Nuremberg Trials explores the intense pressure the post-WWII press corps faced.
The evening will feature an in-depth interview hosted by Jeffrey James Higgins—a bestselling thriller novelist, retired federal supervisory special agent, and co-owner of Elaine’s. The conversation is expected to pull back the curtain on how a press corps of international journalists managed to broadcast the details of the post-World War II tribunals to a grieving, eager world under intense logistical and psychological pressure. Unearthing the Media’s Toughest Assignment Fletcher, a career foreign correspondent whose reporting has taken her from the high courts of Hong Kong to the streets of Beijing, turns her investigative eye backward in time for her latest work. Reporting the Nuremberg Trials explores the unique challenges faced by the hundreds of media professionals who descended upon Germany in 1945.
Award-winning foreign correspondent and author Noel-Marie Fletcher.
Fletcher’s book relies on extensive primary sources, diaries, and historical archives to show how radio broadcasters, print journalists, and photographers navigated a ruined city while translating complex legal proceedings into breaking news.
A Convergence of Storytelling The pairing of Fletcher and Higgins promises a dynamic dialogue.
Higgins, a decorated veteran of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who received the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism, frequently draws on his real-world experiences fighting terrorism across five continents to write fast-paced espionage thrillers such as The Havana Syndrome.
His deep experience with major international events makes him uniquely equipped to interview Fletcher and uncover the raw, visceral realities that formal histories often overlook. Rather than just recounting facts, Higgins guides conversations into the deeper, authentic layers of human experience—capturing exactly what it felt like to research and live through historic moments as they unfolded.
A New Hub for the DMV Literary Community
Since opening at 208 Queen Street—the historic building that formerly housed the long-running Bilbo Baggins restaurant—Elaine’s has quickly evolved from a neighborhood Mediterranean dining spot into a major hub for the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area’s literary scene.
Attendees of the upcoming event can enjoy Elaine’s signature Egyptian-inspired Mediterranean cuisine while listening to the discussion. An audience Q&A session and book signing with Fletcher will follow the interview.
Space for the author event is limited, and organizers highly recommend making reservations in advance. For more information and to secure a seat, visit Elaine’s Literary Salon.
