Live from 7pm, 7 June 2026
Join the hosts of the celebrated Empire podcast as they discuss how the legacy of the British Empire reshaped the modern world, leaving a trail of upheaval, resistance, and transformation.
William Dalrymple and Anita Anand explore how imperial domination fuelled intellectual revolutions and political awakenings across Asia and beyond. Together, they uncover the political and intellectual movements that challenged colonial power, drawing connections between the past and the influence of the empire on global politics, identity, and resistance movements today. They will be in conversation with the British Library’s Bee Rowlatt.
ANITA ANAND
Anita Anand is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and author, best known for presenting BBC Radio 4 and television programmes including Newsnight and Woman’s Hour. Her books include Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary and The Patient Assassin, which won the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize, as well as the co-authored Kohinoor: The Story of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond. She is also co-host of the globally renowned Empire podcast, which has amassed over 50 million downloads.
WILLIAM DALRYMPLE
William Dalrymple is a acclaimed British historian and broadcaster whose richly researched books on South Asian history include the Wolfson Prize-winning White Mughals and the Duff Cooper Prize-winning The Last Mughal. A co-founder of the Jaipur Literature Festival and co-host of the Empire podcast, he was awarded the British Academy’s President’s Medal in 2018 for his outstanding contributions to the humanities.
BEE ROWLATT
Bee Rowlatt is a writer, BBC World Service journalist, and British Library events producer whose books include the award-winning travelogue In Search of Mary and the bestselling Talking about Jane Austen in Baghdad, which was dramatised by the BBC. She is founder and chair of the Wollstonecraft Society, a human rights education charity, and was recently awarded an MBE for services to women’s rights.
We are proud to partner with the Jaipur Literature Festival, London — the British Library edition of the world’s largest literary festival. For two days, JLF brings together brilliant minds for inspiring conversations, bold ideas, books, music, and food. Like Town Hall, it is a place where people gather to exchange ideas, celebrate culture, and enjoy the simple pleasure of great company.
