Over the last half century, sub-Saharan Africa has not had one history, but many — histories that have intertwined, converged and diverged. They have involved a continuing saga of decolonisation and state-building, conflict, economic problems, but also progress. This new account of those histories looks in particular at the relationship between territorial, economic, political and societal structures and human agency in the complex and sometimes confusing development of an independent Africa.

In this evening event, Keith Somerville will discuss his newly published work on the many histories of the African continent. A career journalist with the BBC World Service and BBC News for three decades, specialising in Africa, Keith writes and lectures on African affairs and is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London.  He is the author of several books, including ‘Radio Propaganda and the Broadcasting of Hatred’ (2012, Palgrave MacmiIllan).

Speaker: Keith Somerville, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London.

Chair: Emelie Poignant Khafagi, Africa Research Group.

No registration required. Free and open to all. Seats are taken on a first-come basis