When We Ruled by Paula Akpan
We are delighted to be hosting pioneering historian Paula Akpan talking to the brilliant Sile Sibanda about her debut book When We Ruled, a game-changing history of twelve African queens and warriors, praised by Bettany Hughes as ‘a history the world needs’ and by Candice Carty-Williams as ‘the history we should have learned in schools.'
In this sweeping history, Akpan takes us into the worlds of queens and warriors who ruled vast swathes of the African continent, yet beyond the lands they called home, so few of us have ever heard their names.
When We Ruled follows their stories and how they came to rule and influence the futures of their people. With reigns spanning pre-colonial Nigeria to the farming villages of Rwanda, the hills of Madagascar to apartheid South Africa, these ruler's stories offer us fascinating insight into life in these regions. Akpan shows how societies thrived, expanded and fractured before colonial influence, while also exposing the deep scars colonisation left behind.
Paula Akpan (she/her) is a Black British historian and writer who gained a distinction in her fully funded MA in Black British History and who has credits in Vogue, Teen Vogue, The Independent, Stylist, VICE, i-D, Bustle, Time Out London and more. This is her much-anticipated debut book.
Sile Sibanda is an award-winning BBC radio presenter, event/conference host, spoken word performer with over 15 years of experience in the arts and entertainment industry From speaking at the House of Lords at age 12 to hosting Q&As at major UK and international festivals, Sile is known for bringing stories to life on stage and on air. She has produced immersive storytelling experiences for StoryTrails, facilitates creative writing workshops for young people, and co-authored the anthology Spit Out the Myth: Three Sheffield Poets.
Her poetry has been commissioned by leading cultural organizations across the UK. Currently, Sile produces a creative programme for care experienced young people for Site Gallery and hosts regular BBC shows across Yorkshire, Humberside, and Lincolnshire. A lover of global literature, jazz, travel, and the outdoors, Sile is passionate about connecting communities through creativity and storytelling.
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