Your new book explores the impact of the British empire around the world, which is obviously a weighty, complex topic. But I wanted to begin in the place it starts: on holiday. Can you tell us about how your trip inspired the project?
I went to Barbados on one of those first trips we all did as the Covid-19 pandemic began to subside. The idea was partly to escape the stress of talking about the British empire, because I’d had such an intense response to my last book. But my girlfriend had booked the trip and chosen to go to Barbados, which is obviously not an escape from the British empire. I managed to relax for a few days, but then one afternoon found myself visiting the sites of former plantations – and was shocked to discover the tours barely mentioned slavery and its legacies. It made me realise I had to continue my journey into the empire’s history.
As you say, your previous book Empireland – which focused on how imperial history has shaped Britain – received an intense reaction. How did it feel being in that spotlight, and did it shape this book?
It felt weird, but varied day to day. Sometimes I’d receive abuse but find it funny; on
