Nihal Arthanayake to spend more time in Sri Lanka where people ‘look' like him
The BBC Radio 5 Live presenter said Stockport in Manchester where he currently lives is a monocultural place which is “very whiteâ€� and “it’s unsettling to be a minorityâ€�
BRITISH Sri Lankan broadcaster and author Nihal Arthanayake has spoken of his desire to spend more time in the country of his origin where he sees people “who look like me” and connects “instantly”.
The BBC Radio 5 Live presenter also revealed why it was “unsettling to be a minority” at Stockport in Manchester where he currently lives, as it is a monocultural place which is “very white”.
In a wide-ranging chat with food critic Jimi Famurewa on the Where’s Home Really? podcast – that explores issues of identity among ethnic people – Arthanayake recalled his that his first experience of racism was underwhelming.
Like many Asian public figures, the BBC broadcaster is not immune to being targeted by racist trolls on social media, where he has more than 117,000 followers on Twitter.
In a discussion on what homes means to him, Arthanayake told Famurewa, “The place I want to spend more of my time in as I get older is a house that we have in Sri Lanka.
“Culturally, I feel Sri Lankan and British.
“But there's something about the lure of that country. There's something about the energy in that country… there is something about stepping off that plane, seeing palm trees, hearing nature, seeing the colours that I connect with so instantly.”
Born in Harlow in Essex to Sri Lankan parents, Arthanayake said he asserted his heritage because he was routinely questioned about his Britishness.
“So you will be constantly saying, ‘I'm British, I'm as British as you’ to some racist on Twitter, right?... You shouldn't really engage with racists on Twitter. But when they start saying, ‘Oh, you're not British, you're not that.’ Then you say ‘No, I'm British Sri Lankan. That's what I am’.”
Arthanayake, 51, cut his teeth in the music industry as a rap recording artist before becoming a radio and TV presenter.
He moved from London to Stockport, south of Manchester, where the BBC Studios are and Arthanayake described how “very white and monocultural” the area is.
“It's unsettling to be a minority and feel like a minority because in London, I never felt like a minority. I was never made to feel like I was a minority. But - my own, and it's purely anecdotal - feeling is that I feel really like a minority in this part of the world.
“There can be some quite dark sides to that feeling.”
Followers of Arthanayake on social media are aware of his love for Tottenham Hotspur, but the broadcaster revealed football was “not very welcoming” to him.
Recalling his growing up years in London, he said, “We had a lot of West Ham fans in Harlow town, some of whom were part of their notorious firm the ICF (Inter City Firm). And they were violent, racist thugs. So you ended up kind of slightly tarring football with a thing (like) that.”
He said the experience left him with scars in his mind and “so even today… I cannot really get excited about England”.
“I wouldn't go to West Ham - Tottenham, I wouldn't go… I wouldn't take my kids to that ground as a Spurs fan,” Arthanayake said.
Instead, he found the music industry, and hip hop, in particular, was more welcoming to a person of colour, such as him.
Arthanayake recalled how he was called the P word for the first time in East Ham when he was a child.
“I was in a WH Smith, looking at magazines. And these two or three skinheads came up to me who can't have been that much older than me and said, 'Are you a P***?' And I'd never heard the word before.”
Arthanayake said he must have been 11 or 12 when the incident took place and he was unaware of what the word meant.
“I looked at them and genuinely innocently, because I've just thought it was a case of mistaken identity, and I just went, ‘No, I'm not.’ And then they looked at each other. And they went ‘Oh, all right then’, and then just walked off.”
He added, “My first ever racist exchange was such an underwhelming experience for everyone involved. I wasn't offended. They were disappointed.”
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.”
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