SATHNAM SANGHERA’S bestselling 2021 book Empireland found the author in the eye of a media storm. As its follow-up, Empireworld, is released, he talks to Matt Elton about how it felt to make headlines – and how we can have a constructive national conversation about Britain’s imperial past
IMPERIAL HISTORY
Your new book explores the impact of the British empire around the world, which is obviously a weighty, complex topic. But I wanted to begin in the place it starts: on holiday. Can you tell us about how your trip inspired the project?
I went to Barbados on one of those first trips we all did as the Covid-19 pandemic began to subside. The idea was partly to escape the stress of talking about the British empire, because I’d had such an intense response to my last book. But my girlfriend had booked the trip and chosen to go to Barbados, which is obviously not an escape from the British empire. I managed to relax for a few days, but then one afternoon found myself visiting the sites of former plantations – and was shocked to discover the tours barely mentioned slavery and its legacies. It made me realise I had to continue my journey into the empire’s history.
As you say, your previous book Empireland – which focused on how imperial history has shaped Britain – received an intense reaction. How did it feel being in that spotlight, and did it shape this book?
It felt weird, but varied day to day. Sometimes I’d receive abuse but find it funny; on other occasions, it really got to me. I’d be doing a public event and people would start yelling at me, for instance.
But the positives have been incredible. I’ve met young people who are studying history because of Empireland, which is really inspiring. But it can also be overwhelming, and it did create pressure when I was writing this sequel. In fact, I’ve felt pressure on multiple fronts. You might have noticed that the book’s footnotes are quite extensive – probably more than you’d get in your average history title. That’s because I’m paranoid: I know there are people out there who want to undermine and ridicule me, so I wanted to make sure I showed up with the receipts.
Do you think there’s a danger of accuracy being lost, on all sides of this debate?
Absolutely. Defending empire is not a new thing: it’s as old as empire itself. But I think that it has gone further than ever in recent years, with nostalgic books about the British empire being published that ignore f
