David Olusoga OBE

BAFTA-Winning Historian and Leading Authority on Black British History
Award-Winning Author and Influential BBC Documentary Presenter
Fellow of the British Academy and World-Renowned Public Historian

David Olusoga OBE is a British-Nigerian historian, award-winning author and BAFTA-winning documentary presenter. He is Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester and one of the UK’s leading voices on race, empire and Black British history. His work combines rigorous scholarship with powerful storytelling, making him one of the most influential public intellectuals in modern British culture.

David is widely known for presenting the acclaimed BBC series A House Through Time, Black & British: A Forgotten History and the BAFTA-winning Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners. His other major credits include The World’s War, The Unwanted: The Secret Windrush Files, Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer and the landmark arts series Civilisations.

As an author, David has written seven celebrated books, including Black & British: A Forgotten History, winner of the Longman-History Today Trustees Award and the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize. His works The World’s War, Black & British: A Short Essential History, The Kaiser’s Holocaust and Civilisations: Encounters and the Cult of Progress have established him as a leading authority on empire, race and global history.

His contributions have earned him major honours, including the British Academy’s President’s Medal, the Norton Medlicott Medal and Fellowship of the British Academy, the Royal Society of Literature, the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Arts. In 2023, he received the BAFTA Special Award for his outstanding contribution to television.

David is also a columnist for The Observer and contributes to The Guardian, The New Statesman, The Voice and BBC History Magazine. He serves on the Scott Trust, the body overseeing The Guardian, helping shape the future of British media and public history.

Speaking Topics

Black British History – Uncovering hidden histories and re-examining Britain’s multicultural past.
The British Empire & Its Legacy – Understanding colonialism, its impact, and its continuing relevance.
Race, Identity & Modern Britain – Historical perspectives on contemporary social issues.
The Transatlantic Slave Trade – Its global impact and its place within British history.
Windrush and Post-War Migration – Narratives of migration, belonging and citizenship.
Public History & Storytelling – Bringing complex historical narratives to mainstream audiences.
Media, Representation & Historical Accountability – Diversifying narratives in media and education.
Global Health & Society – Insights from Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer.
Understanding Conflict – Historical approaches to world wars and international relations.

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Testimonials

David is such a wonderful speaker and of course very professional (which made all of the practical/tech stuff very easy!). We had great engagement as well with over 100 people on the live stream and about 50 more joining to watch on the big screen in our office. Please do pass on our sincere thanks to David for giving up his time for such a compelling, insightful talk.

Thank you, David, it was a privilege to have you and hear your personal story. It was our most anticipated and well-attended event as part of our Black History Month initiative at UBS and for good reason! We have received some great feedback from viewers, many citing it as one of the most insightful and impactful sessions they have watched at UBS. So many left the session having learnt something new about Black British history and gained an understanding of the depth of ideas behind racism in society. We’d love to have you back again!”

Just some of the feedback I have had: ‘An educational, interesting and thought-provoking start to Black History Month… it’s made me want to educate myself and find out more’, ‘it was really impactful, I’ve seen David Olusoga on a few programmes and he was just as engaging today, it felt special to have someone with recent facts and so much experience of study in this area to explain it all so eloquently’ and ‘one of the greatest speakers we have had in!’… some immediate snippets.