AfterWords

Virginia Woolf, Race and the Dreadnought Hoax with Danell Jones & Tabitha Sparks

In February 1910, the future Virginia Woolf played the most famous practical joke in British military history. Blackening her face and masquerading as an Abyssinian prince, the young writer and her friends conned their way onto HMS Dreadnought, the Empire’s most powerful battleship. 'The Girl Prince' is a tantalisingly fresh take on the iconic writer and her deeply problematic stunt, as well as her ideas on race and empire. In this episode, listen to award-winning author and scholar Danell Jones and Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Arts at McGill University Tabitha Sparks discuss what happened aboard the ship, Woolf’s involvement in the hoax, the immediate aftermath and how the narrative surrounding the ‘practical joke’ has changed over the years. To buy the book and for more information, visit hurstpublishers.com

Lessons in Guilt and Gratitude to the British with Mihir Bose & Sarah Sands

Born in Kolkata shortly before Indian independence, Mihir Bose still feels enormous gratitude towards Mr Crombie of the UK’s Home Office, who confirmed his permanent resident’s rights in 1975. In this episode, join Mihir, the BBC’s first sports editor and first non-white editor, and Sarah Sands, author and Deputy Chair of the British Council, in conversation about his book ‘Thank You Mr Crombie’. You'll hear Mihir take us back to life in 1960s Britain, a time when Indian food was shunned, not adored. Landladies wouldn’t rent him a room and he suffered several assaults, fearing for his life. Reflecting on migration, race and British society, he looks at how far the country has come and how its sometimes deeply shameful past must still be addressed. To buy the book and for more information, visit hurstpublishers.com

Negotiating with the Devil with Pierre Hazan & Victor Mallet

In an increasingly dystopian world, 'Negotiating with the Devil' by Pierre Hazan takes readers inside the world of armed conflict mediation, offering insight into the political and ethical ‘red lines’ that shape talks with armed interlocutors, be they states or insurgents. In this episode, listen to Pierre and Victor Mallet in conversation about the high-stakes process of conflict mediation, the role of a peace negotiator, Pierre’s own thoughts about what makes a good mediator, and the grey areas as well as the shifting political imperatives impacting conflict mediation today. To buy the book and for more information, visit hurstpublishers.com

The Great Indian Food Trip with Zac O'Yeah & Samanth Subramanian

'The Great Indian Food Trip' is an entertaining, erudite adventure of eating, drinking and travelling. This is how Swedish novelist, rock musician and author Zac O’Yeah has come to understand the Indian subcontinent, his home of thirty years. In this episode, listen to Zac in conversation with writer and journalist Samanth Subramanian about the book, Zac’s love of food, his most memorable meals during his travels across India, and unique insight into the country’s delicacies, their origins and locales. To buy the book and for more information, visit hurstpublishers.com

Plotters: The UK Terrorists Who Failed with Tam Hussein & Lizzie Dearden

We are in a new age of terror, with self-radicalising, hard-to-categorise individuals planning violence. Since the Westminster Bridge attack in 2017, more than 40 terror attacks have been foiled by the security services. 'Plotters' by journalist Lizzie Dearden is an eye-opening account of the British terror attacks you’ve never heard of—because the perpetrators were caught in time. In this episode, listen to Lizzie in conversation with fellow journalist and writer Tam Hussein to discuss the changing face of modern terrorism, the common factors that led to the would-be attackers being stopped and what each one caught tells us about British society. To buy the book and for more information, visit hurstpublishers.com