Hello, this is Meet the Writers.
I'm Georgina Godwin.
2024 has seen many, many authors come into Midori House and we wanted to take the time to highlight one of our favourites.
Zainab Badawi is one of the best known broadcast journalists in the British media today.
Her work includes interviewing some of the world's most notable personalities and politicians on BBC Hard Talk and hosting global questions on BBC World TV and the BBC News ch.
She's also the founder of the production company Kush Communications, which creates thought provoking programs and films including the groundbreaking 20 part series the History of Africa.
She's been chair of the Royal African Society and is the current president of SOAS University of London.
Her new book is An African History of Africa.
Zainab Badawi, welcome to Meet the Writers.
Hello, Georgina.
Great to be with you.
Thank you.
This book is absolutely fascinating.
It's a history of Africa told by Africans.
And I want to start with your own history, your own family history, because you were born in Khartoum.
Tell us about your background and perhaps going back a couple of generations, because fascinating ancestry.
Yes.
So, yes, indeed, I was born in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and I, I have actually lived in the uk, however, since I was two years of age, going on three.
So I consider myself a Sudanese Brit or British Sudanese, whichever way you want to look at it.
And although I did move here as an infant, my family have always maintained very close ties with the Sudan.