Black and British

You could not ask for a more judicious, comprehensive and highly readable survey of a part of British history that has been so long overlooked or denied. David Olusoga, in keeping with the high standards of his earlier books, is a superb guide. – Adam HochschildGroundbreaking. * The Observer *[A] comprehensive and important history of black Britain … Written with a wonderful clarity of style and with great force and passion. * The Sunday Times *A radical reappraisal of the parameters of history, exposing lacunae in the nation’s version of its past. – Arifa Akbar * The Guardian *A thrilling tale of excavation – Colin Grant * The Guardian *[Olusoga] has discovered new and exciting research materials … Such sources give his writing freshness, originality and compassion … [Black and British] will inspire and will come to be seen as a major effort to address one of the greatest silences in British historiography – David Dabydeen * New Statesman *Lucid and accessible. * Herald Scotland *Olusoga’s account challenges narrow visions of Britain’s past. By tracing the triangulated connections between Britain, America and Africa, he presents black British history in global terms […] His subjects, even those who barely figure in the historical record, appear as individuals who matter, both in their own right and as historical exemplars. * The London Review of Books *An insightful, inclusive history of black people in Britain … Rich in detail and packed with strong personalities, this is an important contribution to our understanding of life in the UK. * History Revealed *Ambitious … Long overdue. – Hakim Adi * Spectator *Olusoga has single-handedly over recent years forced our forgotten history on the agenda … Written with an urgency it is a thrilling and engaging read. * Nigerian Watch *An erudite exploration of racism and how it continues to mutate … it is exhilarating to read a fine mind at work. – Cathy Rentzenbrink * The Guardian *

David Olusoga is a British-Nigerian historian, author, presenter, and BAFTA-winning film-maker. He is Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester.

Olusoga is the author of several books and writes journalism and comment for The Observer, The Guardian, The New Statesman, The Voice, and BBC History Magazine. He presents the long-running BBC history series A House Through Time and wrote and presented the multi-award-winning BBC series Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners.

His book Black and British was long-listed for the Orwell Prize, shortlisted for the inaugural Jhalak Prize, and won the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize. A children’s edition, Black and British: A Short, Essential History, was published in 2020 and won Book of the Year, Children’s non-fiction at the 2021 British Book Awards.

In 2019, he was awarded an OBE for services to history and community integration. David is also a recipient of the BAFTA Special Award, the British Academy’s Presidents Medal, and the Norton Medlicott Medal for Services to History.

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