Gus Casely-Hayford – författare

A fresh, expansive, unflinching and informed exploration of objects and what they can tell us about human history. Every culture in history has imbued certain objects with special value, constructing systems and narratives to support their appreciation. Even our pre-human ancestors left behind evidence of collecting. Objects, then, tell important stories — about humanity, creativity, what we need, and about who we really are or wish to be. In Objects & Us, renowned curator and cultural historian Gus Casely-Hayford identifies twelve human needs, each chronicled in its own chapter, and pairs them with a variety of objects from the last six centuries, asking why these things and the human drive for creativity are important. Through a surprising and revealing selection of objects, from a carved wooden spoon to a stately silk dress, he identifies significant moments of cultural and creative innovation and expands them into larger stories that tell us why we design, make and collect. His aim is to show how the products of art and design are not simply evidence of human history, but are in fact what make us human in the first place. Objects & Us takes the reader through the world of both commonplace and exceptional objects from all corners of the globe, showing how they reveal our histories, our needs, our desires and our priorities, as well as the way we live our lives.

For many of us the history of Africa is, at best, vague. We might think of Egyptian pyramids, legendary queens (of Sheba or Cleopatra) and Zulu warriors. The truth, however, is one of remarkably diverse, creative, culturally rich civilisations. In this book, which accompanies an 8-part BBC series, Gus Casely-Hayford takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of this remarkable continent. We will encounter archaeological sites of staggering beauty that rival the Great Wall of China, vast and ancient universities that predate Oxford and Cambridge, kingdoms of extraordinary wealth, artistic traditions that still inspire artists today, great religious sites that surpass the Vatican, and a country with more pyramids than Egypt.In recent years new archaeological and anthropological research has opened up the study of African history in ways previously unimaginable. Long-lost kingdoms are suddenly being brought back to life. Civilisations that had faded into myth are revealing their secrets. Using this latest research, Gus Casely-Hayford is able to tell the history of Africa's major kingdoms in an entirely new, colourful and richly-informed way. Accessible and inspiring, The Lost Kingdoms of Africa is both a major addition to our understanding of this oft-overlooked history and a source of genuine delight and wonder.