“Empireworld” by Sathnam Sanghera investigates only a few of the many often-overlooked aspects of how the British Empire influenced and continues to influence the nations it colonised. It once again reminds us of the long-overdue conversation we need to have as a country about our collective history. 

It begins with Sanghera demonstrating how large influences can show themselves through things we class as mundane or normal, alongside the influences of harrowing histories bleeding through the modern-day societies of many nations. Beyond a superficial knowledge of its contents, I am nowhere near an expert on the book’s subject matter. That is why, when it comes to these issues, the important thing is for more people to find out about them.

Even if it is merely an introduction to the subject of the British Empire, it will still do us all good if more of us merely have a knowledge of some basic concepts, events, practices and impacts. Compared to the people who actually experienced what we did during the era of Empire, Brits seem to have an idealised and antiquated view of our actions while leaving many blank spots for the sake of preserving a sense of exceptionalism.

Sanghera makes clear that we can only have an honest discussion about empire between one another and affected peoples and nations if we are on the same page. That is why you should go and read his book, which, while covering many separate issues - nowhere near a comprehensive list, but you’d need a library to store a book series that did - covers them well and in only 250 pages if you don’t count his bibliography and indexes.

We need to counter the long-standing issue of addressing our past, or, as Salmon Rushdie once put it:

“The trouble with the English is their history happened overseas, so they don't know what it means.”