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We Need to Talk About the British Empire

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We Need to Talk About the British Empire

By: Afua Hirsch
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About this listen

Making sense of the British Empire's legacy... through the stories of people who lived through it.

Through six intimate conversations with a new generation of writers and historians - journalist Afua Hirsch tries to break through old cliches, and unpick the true legacy of this complicated and difficult inheritance.

She speaks to leading figures in British culture today - from poet Benjamin Zephaniah to actress Diana Rigg, broadcaster Anita Rani to novelist Nadifa Mohamed - discovering vivid family stories of the people who made the Empire what it was. And she hears how its ripples continue to shape our lives, and sense of collective identity today: our attitudes and cultural values, the multicultural, multiracial population of the British Isles today, and the relationships that Britain has with other parts of the world.

A Somethin' Else Production.

This is an Audible Original Podcast. Free for members. You can download all 6 episodes to your Library now.

©2019 Audible, Ltd. (P)2019 Audible, Ltd. Europe Great Britain Performing Arts Stand-up Shows
Episodes
  • Ep. 1: Anita Rani

    Ep. 1: Anita Rani
    Feb 13 2020

    Broadcaster Anita Rani's story is of a long-hidden family secret, one rooted in India’s Partition in 1947. A secret that changed not just everything Anita thought she knew about Britain’s legacy in India... but rocked her own sense of identity.
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    37 mins
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  • Ep. 2: Nadifa Mohamed

    Ep. 2: Nadifa Mohamed
    Feb 13 2020

    When British-Somali writer Nadifa Mohamed sought to draw on her father’s life as a colonial subject for her first novel, she never dreamed he would unravel the tale of a modern-day Odysseus - and lift the lid on parts of the British Empire the history books often forget.
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    40 mins
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  • Ep. 3: Joseph Opala & Emory Campbell

    Ep. 3: Joseph Opala & Emory Campbell
    Feb 13 2020

    The story of a tiny, forgotten island in a West African river delta - and a proud community in the Eastern USA - reveals new and shocking insights into Britain’s involvement in the Transatlantic slave trade.
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    35 mins
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All stars
Most relevant
As someone who has no direct links to the empire but is affected by Brexit, the rise of nationalism and curious about areas of conflict and turbulence in the world today, I found this a fascinating listen. We need more of this; women and men from different backgrounds who are able to respectfully and share knowledge and perspective.

Important and well balanced

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Ireland and Palestine could have been given episodes, perhaps not politically apt to look at those two places.

Needs expanding

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What a wonderful pod. A fascinating insight into a, possibly, overlooked aspect of Empire. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Fascinating

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This is a must-listen, I learnt so much from Afua Hirsch and her guests. Suffice to say, the British school curriculum did not provide a drop in the ocean of the expanse and conduct of the British Empire. Each episode takes a specific location and features a personal story from a guest, plus background context from an academic. The Somalia and Sierra Leone episodes were particularly memorable. The latter shows how Britain's slave trade intensified in some ways after abolition, so we have no right to boast about how noble we are. I wish we could put this series into the school system! My first Audible download and a very encouraging one, thank you.

Broad, profound exploration of the British Empire

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You call yourself proud to be British, this is an alarming wake-up call. Thank you!

Shock and Awe .

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