Sathnam Sanghera – författare

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERIn his ground-breaking new book, Sathnam Sanghera traces the legacies of British empire around the world.‘A wonderful book’ Rory Stewart‘Nuanced and deeply researched’ Financial Times‘Not just a welcome corrective but a book for our times’ Peter Frankopan_____________________________________________________The British empire was built on slavery, but it also pioneered abolition.It spread democracy, but it also seeded geopolitical instability.It devastated nature but it also gave birth to modern notions of environmentalism.In this urgent sequel to Empireland, award-winning author and journalist Sathnam Sanghera extends his examination of British imperial legacies beyond Britain to the wider world.Travelling across outposts of the former empire from Barbados and Mauritius to India and Nigeria and beyond, Sanghera puts to bed the conventional balance-sheet view of imperial history where the good is merely weighed up against the bad. In Empireworld, Sanghera instead seeks out nuance to reveal how contradictory forces of the British empire have shaped our world and what they mean for our place within it today._____________________________________________________‘An absolute masterpiece’ James O’Brien‘Puts Sanghera in the firmament of great imperial historians’ Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, i ‘Profoundly moving’ Elizabeth Day

EMPIREWORLD IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOWWINNER OF THE 2022 BRITISH BOOK AWARD FOR NARRATIVE NONFICTION***THE BOOK THAT INSPIRED THE CHANNEL 4 DOCUMENTARY 'EMPIRE STATE OF MIND'***THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'The real remedy is education of the kind that Sanghera has embraced - accepting, not ignoring, the past' Gerard deGroot, The Times_____________________________________________________EMPIRE explains why there are millions of Britons living worldwide.EMPIRE explains Brexit and the feeling that we are exceptional.EMPIRE explains our distrust of cleverness.EMPIRE explains Britain's particular brand of racism.Strangely hidden from view, the British Empire remains a subject of both shame and glorification. In his bestselling book, Sathnam Sanghera shows how our imperial past is everywhere: from how we live and think to the foundation of the NHS and even our response to the COVID-19 crisis.At a time of great division, when we are arguing about what it means to be British, Empireland is a groundbreaking revelation - a much-needed and enlightening portrait of contemporary British society, shining a light on everything that usually gets left unsaid._______________________________________________________'Empireland takes a perfectly-judged approach to its contentious but necessary subject' Jonathan Coe'I only wish this book has been around when I was at school' Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London'This remarkable book shines the brightest of lights into some of the darkest and most misunderstood corners of our shared history' James O'BrienSathnam Sanghera, Sunday Times bestseller, February 2024

'Could not be more enjoyable, engaging or moving' Observer"It's 1979, I'm three years old, and like all breakfast times during my youth it begins with Mum combing my hair, a ritual for which I have to sit down on the second-hand, floral-patterned settee, and lean forward, like I'm presenting myself for execution."For Sathnam Sanghera, growing up in Wolverhampton in the eighties was a confusing business. On the one hand, these were the heady days of George Michael mix-tapes, Dallas on TV and, if he was lucky, the occasional Bounty Bar. On the other, there was his wardrobe of tartan smocks, his 30p-an-hour job at the local sewing factory and the ongoing challenge of how to tie the perfect top-knot.And then there was his family, whose strange and often difficult behaviour he took for granted until, at the age of twenty-four, Sathnam made a discovery that changed everything he ever thought he knew about them. Equipped with breathtaking courage and a glorious sense of humour, he embarks on a journey into their extraordinary past - from his father's harsh life in rural Punjab to the steps of the Wolverhampton Tourist Office - trying to make sense of a life lived among secrets.'I absolutely loved it. Heartbreaking and wonderful. He writes beautifully' Maggie O'Farrell'Tragic, funny and disturbing. It will challenge you, and may even change you' Carole Angier, IndependentPublished in hardback as If You Don't Know Me by Now

An accessible, engaging and essential introduction to the British empire for readers aged 9+, by bestselling author of Empireland, Sathnam Sanghera.You've probably heard the word 'empire' before. Perhaps because of the Roman empire. Or maybe even the Star Wars films.But what about the British Empire? Why don't we learn much about this? And what even is an empire, anyway?This book will answer all the important questions about Britain's imperial history. It will explore how Britain's empire once made it the most powerful nation on earth, and how it still affects our lives in many ways today - from the words we use, to the food we eat, the sports we play and even to every grown-up's fixation with a good cup of tea.Because how can we ever make the world a kinder, better place for the future, if we don't know the truth about the past?"I've resisted suggestions that I write a kids' book on empire on the grounds that I didn't want to sanitise the history. But I think I've found a tone that allows me to be both honest and entertaining. I'm really excited that kids might soon have access to knowledge about the British Empire that I only stumbled across at the age of 45. Becoming at ease with this history is essential to Britain becoming a saner country." - Sathnam SangheraSUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE WEEK

This is the story of the British empire for readers aged 9+, told through the monumental journeys that shaped it - by award-winning, bestselling author of Empireland, Empireworld and Stolen History Sathnam Sanghera.The British empire is the biggest thing we ever did as a country. Bigger than winning both World Wars, bigger than winning any number of World Cups in any number of sports, bigger than inventing James Bond, Peppa Pig and Lord of the Rings combined. Yet, we don’t talk about it much. And it's barely taught in schools.But how do we even begin to tell this massive story?In his second children's book on the British empire, Satham Sanghera tells us all about the empire through the epic and monumental journeys that shaped it. From the rebellious pirate queen who sailed the seas on perilous adventures, to the tragic true story of Pocahontas, and Gandhi's extraordinary Salt March, this collection of 10 journeys takes readers on a voyage through Britain's imperial history, and shows how it continues to impact the entire world today.

'A beautiful, frequently extraordinary book. Part biography, part social commentary and part love letter, it somehow does full justice to the magnificent man it examines' - JAMES O'BRIEN'No ordinary pop biography, this is a very personal exploration of a very unusual artist' - DORIAN LYNSKEY'Far more than a biography of a pop icon – it’s a sharp, insightful look at George Michael’s life and how he challenged society, from politics to identity, in ways that still resonate today' - SADIQ KHANHe wrote one of the biggest hits of our age in ‘about an hour’ in his childhood bedroom.He would go on to collaborate with some of the greatest musicians of all time, from Aretha Franklin to Stevie Wonder.He was a pop star who bleached his hair blonde, wore tiny shorts and, at the same time, critiqued his own image mercilessly.He lived through the AIDS crisis and one of the most homophobic periods of British history and yet when he finally came out, he did so boldly and unapologetically.Wham! were the first Western pop group to play in Communist China and he repeatedly broke boundaries in music too.Ten years after his death, George Michael is still everywhere: the annual success of ‘Last Christmas’, new covers of his songs, and endless memes on social media.Tonight the Music Seems So Loud is at once a kaleidoscopic portrait of one of Britain’s most beloved musicians and an account of a strange and turbulent period of British history. In his unconventional and enthralling book, bestselling author Sathnam Sanghera explores the connection between music and politics, exposes what secrecy does to the soul, and reveals how fame rots the sense of self. Throughout, Sanghera captures, joyfully and poignantly, one of Britain’s greatest artists in all his musical glory.

'A beautiful, frequently extraordinary book. Part biography, part social commentary and part love letter, it somehow does full justice to the magnificent man it examines' - JAMES O'BRIEN'No ordinary pop biography, this is a very personal exploration of a very unusual artist' - DORIAN LYNSKEY'Far more than a biography of a pop icon – it’s a sharp, insightful look at George Michael’s life and how he challenged society, from politics to identity, in ways that still resonate today' - SADIQ KHANHe wrote one of the biggest hits of our age in ‘about an hour’ in his childhood bedroom.He would go on to collaborate with some of the greatest musicians of all time, from Aretha Franklin to Stevie Wonder.He was a pop star who bleached his hair blonde, wore tiny shorts and, at the same time, critiqued his own image mercilessly.He lived through the AIDS crisis and one of the most homophobic periods of British history and yet when he finally came out, he did so boldly and unapologetically.Wham! were the first Western pop group to play in Communist China and he repeatedly broke boundaries in music too.Ten years after his death, George Michael is still everywhere: the annual success of ‘Last Christmas’, new covers of his songs, and endless memes on social media.Tonight the Music Seems So Loud is at once a kaleidoscopic portrait of one of Britain’s most beloved musicians and an account of a strange and turbulent period of British history. In his unconventional and enthralling book, bestselling author Sathnam Sanghera explores the connection between music and politics, exposes what secrecy does to the soul, and reveals how fame rots the sense of self. Throughout, Sanghera captures, joyfully and poignantly, one of Britain’s greatest artists in all his musical glory.

In our shops we will be Kings of England. And we will make this place our place.The Bains’ corner shop in Wolverhampton has been at the centre of the family for three generations.Against the backdrop of a changing 20th century, Mrs Bains is balancing running the business, caring for her ailing husband and the demands of her two headstrong daughters, who each have their eye on a different kind of future.Fast forward to the present day, a family tragedy pulls Arjan Bains back from a life in London. The shop represents everything he was trying to escape, but with his mother insisting it remain open, how long can he stay away?This edition of Marriage Material, adapted from the critically acclaimed novel by Sathnam Sanghera, was published to coincide with the co-production at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Birmingham Rep in May-July 2025.

**Now adapted for the stage by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti as a Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Birmingham Rep co-production running 22nd May – 21st June 2025**SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD AND LONGLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZEFROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BOY WITH THE TOPKNOT AND EMPIRELAND'Enormously enjoyable' SUNDAY TIMES'A satirical masterpiece' TELEGRAPH'Sanghera's tender and funny book is a cracking and pacy read' OBSERVER'A stunning novel . . . touching and funny and feels so fresh . . . it just leaps off the page. I adored it' DEBORAH MOGGACH'Impressive' GUARDIAN'Entertaining' INDEPENDENTWhen Arjan returns to the Black Country after his father's death, his family's corner shop represents everything he tried to leave behind. But his mother insists on keeping the business open, and Arjun finds himself being dragged back from London, and forced into big decisions about his own relationship. Yet Arjan's story isn't the first and it won't be the last: Surinder and Kamaljit, two sisters, a generation back in the family, also experienced their own share of betrayals and loyalties, loves and regrets.Praise for Empireland'A fascinating reckoning with a history of empire' GUARDIAN'I only wish this book had been around when I was at school' SADIQ KHAN'Balanced and insightful' THE TIMES'This immensely readable book is very timely' FINANCIAL TIMES'An important book' NEW STATESMAN