SHANNON G. SIMS

I'm an independent editor and writer using my law degree to untangle some of the most perplexing issues of our time. I've reported from more than 25 countries for The Atlantic, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Guardian, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Travel + Leisure, among others. I've appeared on BBC, MSNBC, NPR, O Globo and PBS. Before going freelance, I was Bloomberg's Editor of Economics and Government for Latin America.

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My feature stories have been published on the front page of The New York Times repeatedly and on the cover of Businessweek. My multimedia writing has won a Lowell Thomas Travel Award from the Society of American Travel Writers and been included in The Best American Travel Writing anthology.

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The Howard G. Buffet Fund for Women Journalists, The International Women's Media Foundation and The Institute of Current World Affairs have generously supported my work. I enjoy paying it forward: I consult students and new writers on landing pitches in major publications and host lectures and clinics on reporting.

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I was born in Turkey and raised on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas. Before journalism, I taught elementary school in Harlem and ran a hotel in Italy. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in international politics and women's studies from Pomona College. My Juris Doctor is from The University of Texas School of Law, where I specialized in international energy and environmental law with a focus on coastal environments. 

I am fluent in English, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish and am lucky enough to have traveled to 47 countries. I love music (especially samba), sports (especially the '93-'95 Houston Rockets) and Mardi Gras.