2.6 billion people are inhabitants of former British colonies. The Empire’s influence upon the quarter of the planet it occupied, and its gravitational influence upon the world outside it, has been profound: from the spread of Christianity by missionaries to nearly 1 in 3 driving on the left side of the road, and even shaping the origins of international law. Yet Britain’s idea of its imperial history and the world’s experience of it are two very different things.
Sathnam travelled the globe tracing the Empire’s international legacies – from Barbados and Mauritius to India and Nigeria and beyond. In this event, he’ll show us just how deeply British imperialism is baked into our world. And why it’s time Britain was finally honest with itself about Empire.