UPCOMING EVENT: The Wheeler Institute is delighted to welcome Zeinab Badawi, award-winning broadcaster, journalist, and President of SOAS University of London, to London Business School on Tuesday 14th May 2024, 17.30-19.00 BST.
The event celebrates the release of Badawi’s new book, “An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence”, a revolutionary text that promises to reshape our understanding of the world’s oldest inhabited continent.
In her enriching debut, Badawi highlights Africa’s pivotal role in shaping human civilization – from the origin of our species and the heights of ancient empires to the struggles against colonialism and the triumphs of independence.
For too long, Africa’s history has been dominated by western narratives. Moderated by Elias Papaioannou (Professor of Economics and Co-Academic Director of the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development), the conversation will explore the history of the continent through the voices of those who have often been overlooked or silenced.
Do not miss this opportunity to gain insights into Africa’s past and present. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, scholar, or simply curious about untold stories, Zeinab Badawi’s work not only sets the record straight, but it celebrates the resilience, creativity, and diversity of Africa’s people.
Join us in discovering Africa’s rightful place in our global story by registering below.
Date: Tuesday 14th May, 2024
Time: 17.30-19.00 BST (pre event refreshments from 17.00, book signing from 18.30)
Location: Sammy Ofer Centre, London Business School and virtually via Zoom
This event is a collaboration between the Wheeler Institute and London Business School’s Black in Business Club and Africa Business Club.
Advance praise for An African History of Africa
Both a tour d’horizon and a tour de force, marvellously readable and beautifully written. This is a book that should be read by anyone who is interested in Africa, by anyone who thinks they know all they need to know about Africa, and above all by anyone who has no interest in Africa at all. It will transform their views of the continent, its peoples and its histories. I cannot recommend it too strongly or praise it too highly.
Sir David Cannadine (Dodge Professor of History, Princeton University)
Zeinab Badawi’s remarkable new book lives up to her dependable standards of excellence. It takes the reader on an up-close-and-personal journey across this unique continent, seemingly holding your hand while uncovering extraordinary gems of truth as she allows previously untold stories to be heard.
Margaret Busby CBE (Editor, Writer, Broadcaster and Former Publisher, current President of English PEN)
This is a book we have needed: a clear account of the fascinating history of Africa from an African
William Hague (Writer and former politician, current Chair of the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales)
perspective. I learned something on every page. It will leave everyone who reads it better informed and more thoughtful about the vast opportunity that can now be found in a continent we have often misunderstood.
One of the greatest strengths of this wonderful African History of Africa and what makes it so engaging is the way Zeinab Badawi narrates the great sweep of this continent’s rich history as a personal voyage of discovery, and in doing so is able to portray her feelings of the experience, be it touching humanity’s most ancient bones or venturing into the dungeons of slave castles’
Dr Kevin Shillington (Author of History of Africa)
About the speakers
Zeinab Badawi is a Sudanese-British journalist. She was the first presenter of the ITV Morning News and co-presented Channel 4 News with Jon Snow from 1989 to 1998 before joining BBC News. Badawi was the presenter of World News Today, broadcast on both BBC Four and BBC World News, and Reporters, a weekly showcase of reports from the BBC. In 2021, Badawi was appointed as president of SOAS University of London.
Elias Papaioannou is a Professor of Economics at London Business School, and Co-Academic Director of the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development. In the academic year 2019/2020, Elias held the Varian Visiting Professor of Economics at the MIT Department of Economics. His research has been recognised with a consolidator ERC grant in 2018, the inaugural 2013 European Investment Bank Young Economist Award, the 2005 European Economic Association’s Young Economist Award, and the Royal Economic Association’s Austin Robinson Memorial Prize, 2008. He is a research affiliate of the Centre for Economic Policy Research.
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