Channel 4 Series: Empire's Children

More about the book

From the makers of 'Who Do You Think You Are?' comes a tie-in edition to a six-part TV series for Channel 4 that explores the legacy of Empire through the personal journeys of six British celebrities. British society is deeply influenced by its imperial past, home to 2.3 million British Asians, 570,000 Caribbeans, and 250,000 Chinese, among others. These diverse groups share a common heritage as descendants of Empire, with lives shaped by its legacy. In the latter half of the 20th century, Britain relinquished control over 64 countries and half a billion subjects. Many former British subjects sought new lives in the UK, raising questions about their motivations for coming to the very country they had fought to free themselves from, the lives they left behind, and the realities of their new existence. This series addresses these pressing concerns within today’s multicultural Britain. By focusing on the emotional journeys of the celebrities, the narrative retraces the paths taken by them or their ancestors to reach the UK. The stories delve into post-colonial histories from Africa, the subcontinent, the West Indies, Australasia, South East Asia, and Cyprus, often including visits to former colonies to better understand the motivations and experiences of these journeys.