Between 1930 and 1931, forty-seven people died on a remote fishing station in the Indian Ocean. Andy Drummond examines what their lives and deaths reveal about capitalism and accountability in France's colonial empire.
Why was a Māori sweet potato introduced to Nigeria - and what can it tell us about the nature of colonial rule? James Akpu explores the global history of the kūmara.
During the Kenya Emergency, photography became a vital tool for psychological warfare. Lauren Brown explores how the colonial state used violent images to demonise African insurgents.
History Workshop editors share their reflections on the radical books and films which have compelled them, fascinated them, and moved them throughout 2025.
When archaeology served empire, what did it see? Benjamin Thomas White explores the history of aerial archaeology and its relationship with colonial surveillance.
How did South African women use culture to build an international anti-apartheid movement? Kebotlhale Motseothata on life in exile with the Amandla Cultural Ensemble
How can we better approach the histories of Indigenous peoples? Mary Katherine Newman introduces a
new History Workshop series on Indigenous historical methods.
How did Tanzanian socialist ideas shape the anti-apartheid struggle in the 1970s? Yasmina Martin connects two traditions of African liberation through the ANC's projects of 'self-reliance' in exile.
In the 1950s-60s, the African Association in Cairo became a hub for anticolonial activists from across the world. Alex White examines the role of transnational activists who shaped the anticolonial movement.
What role did 'freelance' underground operatives play in defeating apartheid in South Africa? Tshepo Moloi on a mother and daughter who crossed borders and languages
The ICU was a union-cum-protest movement in the north-west of South Africa in the 1920s and 1930s. Laurence Stewart explores its messages and methods and their relevance today.
The History Workshop in Johannesburg emerged from intersecting impulses that coursed through the academy and society in South Africa and globally in the 1970s and 1980s. Noor Nieftagodien on its history and present.
We are seeking to appoint one editorial fellow in 2024 - with specialism in histories of Africa, South-East Asia or the Middle East, including diasporic perspectives.
Alexandra F. Morris reflects on the presence of disability within ancient Egypt and how much can be identified by the lived expertise of disabled researchers.
What did decolonisation mean to students in the Afro-Asian solidarity movement? Wildan Sena Utama explores the contributions and contentions of the conference that brought them together.
What might the trip of Birgitta Dahl to the meet Amílcar Cabral and the PAIGC liberation movement reveal about the motivations of transnational solidarity in the era of decolonisation?
There is a persistent myth that decolonial regimes across Africa were “corrupt.” The Savundra Affair reveals the networks of global finance that were, and are, part of this corruption.
Child marriage is often conceived of as embedded in the past, but there is little attention to its historical context. Rhian Keyse explores how this obscures the shifting dynamics and social meanings of such practices.
How does the Mau Mau Memorial Monument depict women's involvement in the anti-colonial Mau Mau uprising? How can women's own words and memories add to this important history? Evalyne Wanjiru explores in this piece.
