Speaker:Odette Magnet

Odette Magnet is a Chilean journalist who received a degree in journalism from Chile's Catholic University, served as the human rights and national affairs reporter for Chile's Hoy magazine from 1977 until 1987. Hoy was recognized as the most important publication of the opposition to the military dictatorship both in Chile and worldwide.

When democracy returned to Chile in 1990, Ms. Magnet was appointed by then President Patricio Aylwin to the position of Chief of the Foreign Press Office, and later as Press Advisor for the Ministry of Justice. She then continued her professional career as a freelance journalist for several Chilean publications (newspapers "La Epoca" and "La Nación" and magazines "Apsi", "Los Tiempos" and "Caras), covering national affairs and conducting political interviews.

Magnet also assisted in the production of several documentaries, such as "The Miracle of the Andes", based on the plane crash involving Uruguayan rugby players who survived more than two months in the Andes mountains. Also she was the co-producer of the documentary "Carlos Cardoen", the Chilean entrepeneur, known mostly for his production of cluster bombs.

In 1995, Ms. Magnet was appointed as Press Attaché to the Embassy of Chile in Washington, D.C (by then President Eduardo Frei) and she served in this capacity until 2000. From 2000 to 2006, she worked as a free lance journalist for several magazines in the United States (LatinaStyle, Vanidades, Istmo, Américas). And, later, was press advisor to the Mission of Chile to the Organization of American States (OAS) and during 2005-2006, she served as the speechwriter of the OAS Secretary General, Mr José Miguel Insulza.

In 2006, President Michelle Bachelet appointed Ms. Magnet Press Attaché to the Embassy of Chile in London.

In January 2009, Ms. Magnet launched in Santiago her first novel (Random House Mondadori), "Arena Negra" ("Black Sand",).