A professor in the Global History & Culture Centre at University of Warwick, David is recognized for his publications on colonial violence, conflict, security, and environmental change.  His work is grounded in History and Politics, currently taking in projects in Kenya, Uganda and Namibia.  This evening’s talk will vividly illustrate how Africa connects with wider global conflicts.

In 2011-12 David was an expert witness in the human rights case against the UK Government which highlighted the suffering of detainees during Kenya’s Mau Mau Rebellion (1952-60).  A settlement was paid in compensation to torture victims in 2013. The case greatly increased awareness and understanding of British colonial history, not least through the release of 27,000 historical files from the ‘Migrated Archive’.  A Very British Way of Torture, a documentary film David made with Channel 4 on the Mau Mau story has been widely praised.  David regularly contributes to the media on other historical topics, e.g. ‘Collective Punishments – historicizing events in Gaza from colonial Palestine and Kenya: a discussion with Laleh Khalili and David Anderson.

His latest book, Conservation in Eastern & Southern Africa: People, Policy, Practice, will be published by CUP in 2027.  A Fellow of the British Academy, and the Royal Historical Society, David is a valued member of the Keele World Affairs Forum Advisory Panel.