Race Equality, Social Justice and Human Rights
Award-winning writer and former lawyer AFUA HIRSCH is the acclaimed author of Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging, which won the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Prize. She is renowned for her work on Black culture, history, identity, and culture in the African diaspora and worldwide, and draws on her depth of expertise in this compelling talk.
Black Culture: A Historical Perspective for Modern Times
Award-winning writer AFUA HIRSCH has been sought after for her thought leadership across mediums, from her writing on race, identity, and belonging, to her work as a documentarian presenting the BBC series African Renaissance and Samuel L. Jackson’s Epix series Enslaved. Bringing together historical understanding and modern implications, Hirsch makes complex and nuanced conversations resonate with impact for audiences of all kinds.
Author Talk: ‘Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging’
Based on her Sunday Times bestselling book, which won the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Prize, AFUA HIRSCH shares profound insights about her own journey with identity, and fosters understanding about the work ahead for communities, companies, and society overall to expand racial equality and ensure meaningful belonging.
International Current Affairs
Award-winning writer and eminent filmmaker AFUA HIRSCH has spent decades as a journalist focusing on telling global stories with resounding impact. In her previous work as a lawyer, her clients have included the governments of Ghana, Tanzania, and Liberia. Working in non-profits she was involved in human rights litigation in Rwanda, Chad, and Sierra Leone. From her work as a war correspondent to her renowned documentaries, Hirsch shines a light on current events with a historical perspective, offering context and a deeper understanding of today’s most pressing issues.
International Justice & the Law
Renowned author and journalist AFUA HIRSCH leverages her experience as a practicing lawyer to shed light on the nuanced implications of international law and the pursuit of justice. In her previous work as a lawyer, her clients have included the governments of Ghana, Tanzania, and Liberia. Working in non-profits she was involved in human rights litigation in Rwanda, Chad, and Sierra Leone. Hirsch also draws on her expertise as a historian, culture critic, and storyteller to explore complex and nuanced issues with a fresh lens.
Afua Hirsch is a Gifted Moderator for Your Next Event
Eminent author, filmmaker, and journalist AFUA HIRSCH is an expert at curating conversations around some of today’s most pressing issues. Drawing on her work on Black culture, history, identity, and belonging, as well as her thought leadership in arts & culture, Hirsch ensures an impactful program for your next event.
Hirsch has founded media entertainment company Born In Me Productions, which specializes in telling stories from truly diverse perspectives and underrepresented voices. In partnership with Fremantle, Born In Me reflects her background as a journalist and storyteller across multiple continents, with a focus on urgent contemporary scripted and non-scripted stories, told with a fresh and creative approach, that appeal to an international audience.
Afua Hirsch is an award-winning writer, broadcaster and former barrister known for her work on culture, social justice, identity and anti-racism.
She is the founder of Born in Me, a TV and film production company which creates scripted and non-scripted television documentaries, dramas, and podcasts, with a focus on compelling storytelling that has authenticity and purpose. In 2021, Born In Me announced an exclusive global first look deal with Fremantle and De Maio Entertainment.
The company has a number of projects in paid development; including the scripted story of Kweku Adoboli, a project with Naomi Harris based around the life of Mary Seacole and a documentary series delving into the mysteries of finding love across the world.
Afua is the presenter of the BBC series African Rising and Enslaved, the 6-part series about the transatlantic slave trade with Samuel L Jackson, as well as a podcast series for Audible. She was creative chair of the 2022 Edinburgh TV Festival, the most prestigious TV event in the UK.
A journalist for more than twenty years, Afua began writing for the Voice Newspaper – Britain’s oldest black newspaper – as a teenager in the mid 1990’s. Since then she has been a senior Guardian correspondent, Sky News editor, and regularly writes for publications including the New York Times, Time Magazine, American and British Vogue, where she is a contributing editor. In 2019 she became the Wallis Annenberg Chair of Journalism at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she teachers graduate students on international reporting.
Afua’s bestselling book Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging is the winner of the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Prize. Her other books include Equal To Everything, about the UK Supreme Court, and Empire: Look Again. Her fourth book Decolonising My Body was published in 2023. Afua holds a degree from Oxford University, and honorary doctorates from London’s South Bank University and The University of Oxford Brookes. She has been voted one of the ten most influential black people in the UK and the 100 most influential people of African descent in the world.
She currently hosts the podcast series LEGACY for Wondery.
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