Books by Olivette Otele

A Guardian Best Book of 2020 A History Today Book of the Year, 2020Renowned historian Olivette Otele uncovers the untold history of Europeans of African descent, from Saint Maurice who became the leader of a Roman legion and Renaissance scholar Juan Latino, to abolitionist Mary Prince and the activist, scholars and grime artists of the present day. Tracing African European heritage through the vibrant, complex, and often brutal experiences of individuals both ordinary and extraordinary, she sheds new light not only on the past but also on questions very much alive today - about racism, identity, citizenship, power and resilience. African Europeans is a landmark celebration of this integral, vibrantly complex slice of European history, and will redefine the field for years to come.

As early as the third century, St Maurice¿an Egyptian¿became leader of the legendary Roman Theban Legion. Ever since, there have been richly varied encounters between those defined as `Africans¿ and those called `Europeans¿. Yet Africans and African Europeans are still widely believed to be only a recent presence in Europe.Olivette Otele traces a long African European heritage through the lives of individuals both ordinary and extraordinary. She uncovers a forgotten past, from Emperor Septimius Severus, to enslaved Africans living in Europe during the Renaissance, and all the way to present-day migrants moving to Europe¿s cities. By exploring a history that has been long overlooked, she sheds light on questions very much alive today¿on racism, identity, citizenship, power and resilience.''African Europeans'' is a landmark account of a crucial thread in Europe¿s complex history.A Guardian Best Book of 2020A History Today Book of the Year, 2020 A Waterstones Best Book of 2020