David Olusoga OBE is a preeminent historian, filmmaker, author, and presenter dedicated to sparking conversations on crucial topics, such as slavery, the empire, and Windrush. Making defining contributions to British Black history, David is at the forefront of award-winning literature and arts with 6 non-fiction works and several acclaimed history TV series. Not only educating the masses through media, but David is also the current Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester. Devoted to teaching people essential topics, David is a gifted speaker, addressing topics such as race and ethnic minority, diversity, and inclusion.
Although born in Nigeria, David was raised in England from age five. Growing up in the 70s and 80s as a person of colour in the UK, David faced attacks by the National Front and racism daily. Shaped by these experiences, David committed himself to understanding why he was a victim of such hatred and began to read about the history of Black people whilst at school. Encouraged to study the subject at university level, David continued his education by studying the history of Slavery at the University of Liverpool and followed with a Master’s in broadcast journalism in Leeds.
Upon graduating from university, David realised that there was a lack of Black representation in the media, leading him to embark on a career in the media. David became a researcher for the BBC’s Western Front and later produced a variety of TV programmes, including Namibia: Genocide and the Second Reich, Abraham Lincoln: Saint or Sinner? And Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners, which won a BAFTA TV Award in 2016. Accompanying his ground-breaking TV productions, David penned literary works which extended the research in his series. With a focus on writing pivotal novels, David is most associated with his prose, ‘Black & British’, which has received countless awards, such as the Longman-History Today Trustees Award. His other books have also been greatly championed, like The World’s War winning the World War Book of the Year in 2015.
Appointed OBE for his services to history and to community integration in 2019, David is an exceptional historian and inspiration to the British public. Speaking on race, history, diversity and inclusion, David is one of the UK’s foremost historians, having ranked eighth in the Top 10 most influential Black Britons. For a captivating presentation of history, personal experience and academic study, book David Olusoga today.
In November 2023 we sat down virtually with David Olusoga and discussed his views on the dismantling of British statues in the wake of the BLM movement and why history has become so political and controversial. Watch our Exclusive Interview with David Olusoga.
