Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

The English have always had a boundless curiosity about the world outside.

From the Renaissance, the country’s travellers have eagerly roamed the globe and been enticed by the diversity and richness of other civilizations. They have also carried within them a capacity to soak up new ideas and to weave them into every aspect of life back home.

Alibhai-Brown traces this golden thread of otherness through five centuries of English history to reveal how it has shaped the buildings, flavoured the food, powered the economy and created a truly diverse society.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown is a leading commentator on race, multiculturalism and human rights. She writes for the Independent and Guardian and appears regularly on TV and radio.