CHANNEL 4 news presenter Fatima Manji has written fascinating new book Hidden Heritage: Rediscovering Britain's Lost Love for the Orient.
The award-winning broadcaster explores British history and identity through the art, objects and architecture that found their way from the Orient to the heart of UK society. The interesting stories and artefacts unearthed by her in the perfect page-turner for history buffs are terrific treasures, which connect Britain with south and west Asia across 400 years of history. Although rooted in the past, the book is connected to contemporary culture and offers many jawdropping revelations.
Eastern Eye caught up with Fatima Manji to discuss her newly released book and the journey of discovery she took with it.
What led you to writing this book?
Every now and then I found myself in a museum or a stately home encountering something familiar, yet unexplained – the darker skin hue of a portrait or perhaps the swirl of an Urdu letter. I would ask about the artwork in excitement, but the answers weren’t always forthcoming, and my mind would be abuzz with so many questions. Eventually, I realised that there was a pattern and I wanted to share the stories I was discovering with more people.
What connected you to this subject?
In some strange way, because of my connections through language, culture, or religion to the objects I found, it felt like the heritage in these places was more mine. But this is more than a personal adventure, I believe these objects are proof of a more complex story – one that has implications for who we believe has the right to comment on Britain’s history and identity, and that’s the reason I wrote this book.
Tell us about the book?
Hidden Heritage travels through Britain’s museums and stately homes telling stories about objects that have been lost, concealed or overlooked. It’s all about recontextualising the relationship between Britain and the people and societies of the Orient (the region we might now describe as south and west Asia). I uncover why there was once a Turkish mosque adorning Britain’s most famous botanic garden in the 18th century, how one of the great symbols of an Indian king’s power – a pair of Persianinscribed cannons – ended up in rural Wales, and the tale of a Moroccan man that stole British hearts depicted in a long-forgotten portrait hanging in a west London stately home, and many more.
What was the biggest challenge while writing the book?
Unearthing the detail about objects and places. It involved trawling through archives and traipsing the country. Although it was a challenge, I rather enjoyed playing the detective.
Is the book aimed at any particular group of people?
Lots of different people – art lovers, those from a south or west Asian background who want to find a place in heritage sites, anyone curious about history, and telling more than just a monolithic tale about Britain’s past.
Is it fair to say you went on quite a journey writing and researching this book?
Absolutely! There were obviously the physical journeys required; the research took me from Glasgow to the Isle of Wight, in museums, stately homes and archives. There was also quite an intellectual journey – I spent a long time reflecting on how the artworks and places of the past have something to say to us today.
You must have learned loads of interesting facts, but which is your favourite?
This is a tricky one because it’s difficult to pick a favourite. I think one might be that there was once a mosque built in a ‘Turkish’ style at Kew Gardens – it was in fact the first mosque structure to be built in Britain in 1762 and was commissioned by a Georgian princess. But it is no longer there. You’ll have to read the book to find out more!
Did anything surprise you while researching this subject?
Just how interconnected people and places can be – for example in one chapter a character hosts the Maharaja of Jaipur on a visit to Britain in 1902, having served as a colonial administrator in India previously. He later pops up in another chapter, this time as a civil servant dealing with wartime efforts in Britain in 1914-15.
What are key things you want the reader to take away from this book?
That Britain’s history is not monolithic, there are many stories to tell, and we all need to be involved in telling them. Also, that heritage sites are for everyone, and no one should feel they don’t belong in these places.
What are key lessons we can learn from history?
In each chapter of the book, I use stories from the past to reflect on our current state of affairs, so, for instance, I use the ‘lost’ mosque of Kew to pose questions about what happens when a community tries to build a mosque in Britain today.
How do you feel now that the book is ready for release?
I’m excited to hear from my readers.
What kind of books do you enjoy and is there a favourite?
A huge variety – I’m out of shelf space. My favourite depends on my mood, I particularly enjoy unexpected histories and classical fiction.
What can we expect next from you?
Phew! This book was about four years in the making, maybe ask me again in the next four.
What inspires you?
The bravery of our ancestors and the boldness of a younger generation.
Why should we pick up your book?
You can impress your friends and family with some of the stories, such as the one about Queen Victoria writing her letters in Urdu.
Finding romance today feels like trying to align stars in a night sky that refuses to stay still
When was the last time you stumbled into a conversation that made your heart skip? Or exchanged a sweet beginning to a love story - organically, without the buffer of screens, swipes, or curated profiles? In 2025, those moments feel rarer, swallowed up by the quickening pace of life.
We are living faster than ever before. Cities hum with noise and neon, people race between commitments, and ambition seems to be the rhythm we all march to. In the process, the simple art of connection - eye contact, lingering conversations, the gentle patience of getting to know someone - feels like it is slipping through our fingers.
Whether you’re single, searching, or settled, the landscape is shifting. Some turn to apps for convenience; others look for love in cafés, gyms, workplaces or community spaces. But the challenge remains the same: how do we connect deeply in a world designed to move at lightning speed?
We’ve become fluent in productivity, in chasing careers, in cultivating polished identities. Yet are we forgetting how to be fluent in intimacy? When was the last time you sat across from someone and truly listened - without checking your phone, without planning the next step, without treating time like a currency to be spent?
It’s a strange paradox: we have more access to people than ever before, yet many feel more isolated. Fun is always available - dinners, drinks, nights out, fleeting encounters - but fulfilment is harder to grasp. Are we mistaking access for intimacy? Are we human, or are we slowly adapting into versions of ourselves stripped of those raw, humanistic qualities - vulnerability, patience, tenderness - that once defined love?
Perhaps we’ve grown comfortable with the fast exit. It’s easier to ghost than to explain. Easier to keep moving than to pause. But what does that cost us? What do we lose when romance becomes a checkbox on an already overstuffed to-do list?
The truth is - the heart doesn’t move at the pace of technology or ambition. It moves slowly, awkwardly, with a rhythm that resists acceleration. Maybe that’s the point. Love has always lived in the messy spaces - hesitant pauses, nervous laughter, words spoken without rehearsal.
So the real question for 2025 is not “Have we gone too far?” but “Can we afford to slow down?” Can we still allow ourselves the sweetness of beginnings - the chance encounters, the unplanned moments, the quiet courage to be open?
Because in the end, connection is not about speed or access—it’s about presence. In a world that won’t stop moving, choosing to be present might be the bravest act of love we have left.
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Researchers from the UK and US analysed data from American households between 2004 and 2019
Hotter days linked to greater intake of sugary drinks and frozen desserts
Lower-income households most affected, research finds
Climate change could worsen health risks linked to sugar consumption
Study based on 15 years of US household food purchasing data
Sugary consumption rising with heat
People are more likely to consume sugary drinks and ice cream on warmer days, particularly in lower-income households, according to new research. The study warns that climate change could intensify this trend, adding to health risks as global temperatures continue to rise.
Sugar consumption is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and has surged worldwide in recent decades. The findings, published in Nature Climate Change, suggest that rising heat could be nudging more people towards high-sugar products such as soda, juice and ice cream.
Climate link to diet
Researchers from the UK and US analysed data from American households between 2004 and 2019 and compared purchases with local weather conditions. They found that for every additional degree Celsius within the range of 12–30°C, people consumed an extra 0.7 grams of sugar per day on average.
Those with lower incomes or less education were the most affected, according to the study. Under worst-case climate scenarios, disadvantaged groups could be consuming up to five additional grams of sugar daily by the end of the century, lead author Pan He of Cardiff University told AFP.
Beyond recommended limits
The American Heart Association recommends a maximum daily intake of 36 grams of added sugar for men and 24 grams for women. However, most Americans already consume two to three times these amounts. A single can of soda contains about 40 grams of sugar.
The study showed that the increase in sugar consumption levelled off once temperatures rose above 30°C. Co-author Duo Chan of the University of Southampton suggested this may be because people had already altered their diets by that point. He warned this could be “even worse news”, as it showed dietary changes were occurring even at lower, not extreme, temperatures.
Substituting frozen treats
The research also indicated a drop in purchases of baked goods on hotter days, likely because consumers were substituting them with ice cream or other frozen desserts.
Health concerns
Unhealthy diets are among the four main risk factors for diseases that account for more than 70 per cent of deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. The authors concluded that climate change, by shaping dietary choices, could further worsen public health outcomes.
RESTAURATEUR and writer Camellia Panjabi puts the spotlight on vegetables in her new book, as she said they were never given the status of a “hero” in the way fish, chicken or prawns are.
Panjabi’s Vegetables: The Indian Way features more than 120 recipes, with notes on nutrition, Ayurvedic insights and cooking methods that support digestion.
She told Eastern Eye, “Most families and chefs regularly cook only 15 to 20 types of dishes. Many vegetables in shops are ignored, because people don’t know how to cook them.
“This book gives readers confidence by providing recipes, explanations, and photographs for 30 vegetables. It also shows how they can be prepared in different ways and with different cuisines — not just Indian.”
Panjabi is part of the family that runs Amaya, Chutney Mary’s, Veerswamy and Masala Zone restaurants. She is also the best-selling author of 50 Great Curries, which sold more than two million copies.
She previously worked for Taj Hotels in India, where she was involved in creating menus for various restaurants among other projects. These menus featured Indian, Chinese, Thai, Italian and French cuisines.
When she eventually moved on after three decades, Panjabi realised that vegetables were almost always relegated to the end of a menu as side dishes.
In every cuisine the pattern was the same: starters and mains were prioritised ahead of sides — potatoes, cauliflower, or something similar.
“Yet, on the plate, two-thirds of the food is usually vegetables, while on the menu they only make up about five per cent,” Panjabi said.
Vegetarian meals often relied on mixing several items together — such as in a thali, stir-fries, or paneer combined with three or four vegetables.
A single vegetable was rarely celebrated on its own.
Panjabi listed around 30 varieties used in Indian food, including raw fruits such as banana and jackfruit.This sparked the idea for a book in which each vegetable would have its own section. “If someone has a cabbage, they should be able to look up different ways to cook it so that it becomes the main dish rather than just a side,” she said.
The recipes could be colourful, classical, traditional or inspired by street food.
With Indian dishes, people across the country are now, for the first time, experiencing cuisines from other regions, she said. Her book has 30 chapters on 30 vegetables, each with its own story, origin, and details of fibre content, calories, vitamins and whether it is acidic or alkaline.
Mumbai-born Panjabi, a Cambridge educated economist, is widely credited with shaping Indian fine dining on the global stage. She played a key role in launching Bombay Brasserie in London and later oversaw renowned restaurants including Veeraswamy and Chutney Mary. She was the first female board director of a public company in India, while serving as marketing director of the Taj Group. Now in her eighties, Panjabi said, “In most Indian restaurants in the UK, the vegetarian options are limited to dishes like gobi aloo, saag paneer, chole, and baingan bharta. There is so much more to discover.
“Western readers will see for the first time that they can cook vegetables the Indian way without necessarily making an Indian meal. They could have grilled fish or roast chicken alongside Indianstyle vegetables. That is the breakthrough — it is not limited to cuisine.
Panjabi said writing the book took two decades. “I thought it would take three or four years, but the process of discovery was so enjoyable that it kept extending,” she said. Only when Covid forced her to stay at home did she put it all together.
The result is a 350-page hardback with more than 120 colour photographs. Half the book is devoted to cooking fats, while the rest covers vegetables, lentils and millets. She described it as “almost like a food encyclopaedia,” weaving Ayurvedic wisdom with modern nutritional science.
“Much more research still needs to be done on the nutrition of vegetables,” she said, pointing out that the subject remains under-researched.
Everyday ingredients also find space in the book. She tackles myths aro-und protein deficiency in vegetarian diets, noting that Indians solved this long ago. Rice and dal, when eaten together, provide all nine essential amino acids needed for complete protein. “Dal-chawal has sustained Indian health for centuries,” she said.
Her experience in restaurants influenced her writing. Panjabi travelled across India, visiting research institutions including the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad, and consulted scientists studying oils and vegetables.
She said, “When I was young, I felt that Indian food had not received its due recognition globally. My mother always explained the health reasons behind what she cooked, and I realised there must be a huge body of knowledge worth documenting.
“I feel I have only touched the tip of the iceberg (with this book). My hope is that this book will inspire other practitioners and people with influence in Indian food to join this journey.”
Vegetables: The Indian Way was published by Penguin Books
How noticing the changes in my father taught me the importance of early action, patience, and love
I don’t understand people who don’t talk or see their parents often. Unless they have done something to ruin your lives or you had a traumatic childhood, there is no reason you shouldn’t be checking in with them at least every few days if you don’t live with them.
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of looking after my parents – they lived with me while their old house was being sold, and their new house was being renovated.
Within this time, I noticed things happening to my dad (Chamanlal Mulji), an 81-year-old retired joiner. Dad was known as Simba when he lived in Zanzibar, East Africa because he was like a lion. A man in fairly good health, despite being an ex-smoker, he’d only had heart surgery back in 2017. In the last few years, he was having some health issues, but certain things, like his walking and driving becoming slow, and his memory failing, we just put down to old age. Now, my dad was older than my friend’s dad. Many of whom in their 70’s, dad, at 81 was an older dad, not common back in the seventies when he married my mum.
It was only when I spent extended time around my parents that I started noticing that certain things weren’t just due to old age. Some physical symptoms were more serious, but certain things like forgetting that the front door wasn’t the bathroom door, and talking about old memories thinking that they had recently happened rang alarm bells for me and I suspected that he might have dementia.
Dementia generally happens in old age when the brain starts to shrink. Someone described it to me as a person’s brain being like a bookshelf. The books at the top of the shelf are the new memories and the books at the bottom are the new memories. The books at the top have fallen off, leaving only the old memories being remembered. People with dementia are also highly likely to suffer from strokes.
Sadly, my dad was one of the few that suffered a stroke and passed away on 28th June 2025. If you have a parent, family member or anyone you know and you suspect that they might have dementia, please talk to your GP straight away. Waiting lists within the NHS are extremely LONG so the quicker people with dementia are treated, the better. Sadly, the illness cannot be reversed but medication can help it from getting worse.
One thing I would also advise is to have patience. Those suffering with dementia can be agitated and often become aggressive, but that’s only because they’re frustrated that they cannot do things the way they used to.
The disease might hide the person underneath, but there’s still a person in there who needs your love and attention.” - Jamie Calandriello
The holy town of Ambaji witnessed a spiritually significant day on Sunday as His Holiness Siri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, head of the International Siddhashram Shakti Centre, London, performed the Dhwaja ritual at the historic Ambaji Temple in Gujarat, one of the most revered Shakti Peeths of India.
Guruji, who travelled especially from London to be part of the festivities, offered prayers to Goddess Amba and hoisted the sacred flag, a symbol of divine strength, victory, and eternal devotion. Speaking about the ritual, he reminded devotees that the dhwaja inspires courage, faith, and a constant remembrance of the divine in everyday life.
Adding to the spiritual significance of the day, Guruji also personally served Bhandara (community meal) to devotees gathered at the temple premises.