Children’s book unpacks lessons of a ‘morally complex’ empire

AN ASIAN writer has explained how his new book makes Britain’s imperial past “accessible, engaging and thought-pro­voking” for a younger audience.

Award-winning author and journalist Sathnam Sanghera’s new book, Journeys of Empire, explores empire through 10 journeys he described as being “extraor­dinary”. Sanghera said his book, published last month by Puffin UK, is “a way of help­ing children understand how Britain’s biggest story still shapes the world today.”

“We’re not taught this history very well,” he told Eastern Eye.

“The empire is morally complex – sometimes we were good, sometimes bad – so, how do you even begin talking about it? It’s also contentious. There are millions of us whose families were colo­nised, and millions whose families were the colonisers.”

Teachers cannot teach what they themselves were never taught, Sanghera pointed out.

“There are multiple layers to why Brit­ish people are so bad at talking about this history. It touches on race, misogyny and geopolitics. It’s easier just not to talk about it.”

And , the cover of his book

Following the success of his bestselling children’s title Stolen History, Sanghera’s this latest work continues Sanghera’s mis­sion to write for readers aged nine and above. With a focus on human experi­ences, Sanghera said he wanted show that history is not just a list of dates or conquests – it’s a tapestry of stories that connect people.

Born in Wolverhampton to Punjabi immigrant parents, he began school un­able to speak English. Later he graduated with first-class honours in English lan­guage and literature from Christ’s Col­lege, Cambridge.

He has since built a career as a writer and journalist.

His memoir, The Boy with the Topknot, and his novel, Marriage Material, were both shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards. Empireland, Sanghera’s explora­tion of Britain’s colonial legacy, was long­listed for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non- Fiction, named a Book of the Year at the 2022 National Book Awards, and inspired the Channel 4 documentary series Em­pire State of Mind.

His first children’s book, Stolen Histo­ry, introduced young readers to the com­plex and often overlooked realities of empire. With Journeys of Empire, Sangh­era aims to go further. “When I finally learned about the British empire, it changed how I saw myself, how I saw Britain, and how I saw India,” he said.

“It seemed obvious that you’d want to give this gift to young people – because your 40s is a bit late to be learning all this.”

Sanghera said the 10 journeys in the book take readers across continents and centuries, revealing both the ambition and the brutality of empire.

“The British empire covered a quarter of the world’s surface and a large portion of its population. It was seven times the size of the Roman empire,” he said.

Aiming to ensure diversity in both per­spective and geography, Sanghera said he chose stories from various countries and different phases of the 400-year history.

Alongside India and Mahatma Gandhi, readers will learn about Guyana’s inden­tured labour system, Gertrude Bell’s ad­ventures in Iraq, and the British invasion of Tibet led by Francis Younghusband.

“I wanted to highlight areas often left out of mainstream narratives,” the writer said. The stories are written with an acces­sible and honest tone, and with humour.

“Violence is a tricky area,” Sanghera said. “You can’t go into graphic detail, but you also shouldn’t whitewash it. The vio­lence and racism of colonialism were in­trinsic. “I tried to strike a balance - ac­knowledging the brutality without over­whelming young readers.”

Writing for children isn’t much differ­ent from writing for adults, Sanghera said.

“You still need engaging stories and to hold attention. The main thing is to avoid big words that might put them off.”

He pointed out how storytelling can counter the allure of digital screens.

“Kids are addicted to screens, and reading rates are falling globally. That’s disastrous for mental health, intellectual development, and politics,” he said.

“When you get news from screens, you’re in an echo chamber – you’re not being challenged or taught to think in a nuanced way.”

Sanghera’s hope is that stories of Journeys of Empire – from pirates to princes and explorers to rebels – will draw in young readers to a world of curiosity and reflection. He said, “The British em­pire is a complex story. Even the ‘good guys’ had flaws. That’s what makes it worth understanding.”

At the heart of his book is a mes­sage about com­plexity and con­tradiction. “The empire in­volved slavery and the aboli­tion of slavery. It caused environ­mental destruc­tion and inspired environmentalism. We live in a world that struggles with nuance, but that’s what makes us human,” Sanghera said.

“My hope is that readers – kids and adults – learn that opposite things can be true at the same time.”

After six years of writing about em­pire, Sanghera said he’s ready for a change. His next book will focus on the late pop star George Michael, due out in June next year.

“I thought George Michael would be a nice break from em­pire. But then I learned that his father came from Cyprus - which was un­der British rule. The reason he left Cyprus was because of the British. So, even George Michael’s story connects back to empire. You can’t escape it, wher­ever you go.”