Sudan: Zeinab Badawi a well-known journalist of the world’s largest news network BBC (British Broadcasting Channel) has become an author now and has written a book on the origins of Homo Sapiens titled as ‘An African History of Africa’.
The BBC Africa journalist herself is a daughter of Africa and hails from Sudan. She has covered the rich history of Africa in her book, emphasising that everyone may trace their ancestors back to the continent.
Prominent journalist and broadcaster of BBC Africa offers a refreshing corrective version of the narratives imposed on the continent by others.
Zeinab Badawi is a name who is known for incisive, informative journalism and hard-hitting interviews that hold prominent figures in the conversation.
She is a well known award-winning journalist and an accomplished TV presenter. And now she is also the President of SOAS, University of London, as of 2021.
Badawi is known for clarifying complex global issues and championing the voices of the most affected people by them.
Book, ‘An African History of Africa’ is the debut work of Zeinab as an author. Ambitious as in its scope and depth, yet eminently accessible and absorbing, the book tells the comprehensive story of the planet’s oldest inhabited continent.
The novel is a manual that tells the comprehensive story of planet’s oldest inhabited continent, spanning everything from the beginning of the human race, to the kingdoms and medieval empires and then to the post-colonial independence of African nations.
Zeinab Badawi’s novel stretches the history from the origins of Homo Sapiens in East Africa through to the end of apartheid in South Africa. It is clearly covered through the interviews by Badawi, conducted with African scholars and cultural custodians, whose expertise, observations and wisdom are threaded through the book ‘An African History of Africa’.
Badawi, is a Sudanese and also a Britisher who has drawn from years of on-the-ground research and interviews with academics, historians, engaged citizens and cultural custodians to write the book.
Journalist Zeinab has inspired all as a writer and reader. She has unveiled some curious details about her hobbies, biggest fear and the strangest job that she has ever had.
Revealing about her favourite writer Chinua Achebe has said that the vividity of writer’s work is second to none, the way he handles the complex topics, is a work of art and thought provoking. Hi rich prose is attractive and precise.
Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist is her favourite book and she said, “It has taught me an early lesson in life about social injustice.”
She talked about her embarking journey and told that UNESCO’s ‘General History of Africa’, inspired her to write a book.
Zeinab Badawi made another revelation that it is her deep desire to give voice to the brilliant African Historians and Academics, all across the continent, so that they can convey their own history, which has often been overlooked.
Considerably, Badawi’s book is an answer to the very act of telling African history from an African perspective and by making this history accessible to a wide range of audience, it is an assertion of dignity and an invitation to learn more.
“I hope I have demonstrated that Africa has a history, that it is a fundamental part of our global story and one that is worthy of greater attention and respect that it has received so far,” said Zeinab Badawi.