Sathnam Sanghera

Author

Sathnam Sanghera is a British journalist and author whose books about British identity, the legacy of empire, and his own Punjabi Sikh heritage have made him one of the most important and widely read commentators on what it means to be British in the twenty-first century. Born in Wolverhampton in 1976 to Punjabi Sikh parents who... emigrated from India, Sanghera was educated at the University of Cambridge and worked as a journalist for the Financial Times and The Times. The Boy with the Topknot (2008) was his first book — a memoir about growing up in a traditional Sikh family in Wolverhampton while navigating the expectations of both his family and British culture, and the discovery that his father had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and his mother with depression. The memoir was widely praised for its honesty, its warmth, and its exploration of family, mental health, and cultural identity. It was adapted into a BBC television film. Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain (2021) examined how the British Empire continues to shape contemporary British life — from architecture and language to economics and attitudes to race. The book was a Sunday Times bestseller and was praised for its accessibility and its willingness to have a difficult conversation without hectoring. EmpireWorld: How British Imperialism Has Shaped the Globe (2024) expanded the scope to examine the global legacy of the British Empire. Sanghera writes with warmth, clarity, and a journalist's gift for making complex subjects engaging and personal. The audiobook editions of Sanghera's books are engaging and accessible. His books and audiobooks are essential for anyone who wants to understand modern Britain — its identity, its history, and the imperial legacy that still shapes how it sees itself and the world. Read more Show less