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We Need to Talk About the British Empire

By: Afua Hirsch
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  • Summary

  • 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.
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Great Britain Performing Arts
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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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Featured Article: The Best History Podcasts of All Time


If you’re a history buff looking for a new podcast to check out, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the array of options available. There are literally thousands of podcasts focusing on every corner of history. To help you know where to start, we’ve waded through nearly everything out there and selected just a few of the best of the best in history podcasts. And we've divided them by categories and interests. You’re sure to find your next favorite listen in our list.

Featured Article The Best History Podcasts of All Time

What listeners say about We Need to Talk About the British Empire

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Perspective Shift

Helpful to understand my own difficult relationship w/fellow Americans who’ve internalized bias for immigrants to USA.

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Should be required in school

This podcast was absolutely riveting and was an incredibly powerful exploration of identity. My only critique is that there aren’t enough episodes to cover the scope of the British colonial legacy. I would love to hear many more episodes!

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Empire and its after effects

An amazing podcast, being part of the empire for 200 years India Pakistan and Bangladesh you can still see the difference of attitude and the legacy of Raj,The looting is still on but this time by the cronies of Raj

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Brilliant, but you missed one

The series begins with the promise of exploring three “partitions,” but rather than discuss Israel/Palestine, it talks of Hong Kong. Hmm...

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A MUST-LISTEN!

Brilliant narration snd content. A very personal look at a major turning point in global history.
Somehow this series has managed to produce a very human, multifaceted portrayal of British colonialism without either demonising, lauding or apologising for colonialism.
All History teachers should listen to this podcast series.

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bias and impacts of history and current events

Made me take a deeper look at the impacts if current and past empire. What was lost? How does the modern conscience reconcile it.

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