Afua Hirsch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Afua Hirsch
FRSL
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Hirsch in 2017
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| Born | 1981 (age 43–44) Stavanger, Norway
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| Education | Wimbledon High School; St Peter's College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Journalist, broadcaster |
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Notable work
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Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging (2018) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Peter Hirsch (great-uncle) |
Afua Hirsch is a well-known British writer and broadcaster. She was born in 1981. She has worked as a journalist for The Guardian newspaper. From 2014 to 2017, she was the Social Affairs and Education Editor for Sky News.
Afua Hirsch wrote the popular 2018 book Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging. She received an award while writing it. In 2024, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This is a special honor for writers.
Early Life and Education
Afua Hirsch was born in Stavanger, Norway. Her father was British and her mother was Ghanaian. She grew up in Wimbledon, in southwest London.
Her family has an interesting history. Her grandfather, who was Jewish, left Berlin in 1938 to escape danger. Her great-uncle is a famous scientist named Sir Peter Hirsch. Her mother's father helped set up the education system in Ghana after it became independent.
Afua Hirsch went to Wimbledon High School, a private school. She then studied philosophy, politics, and economics at St Peter's College, Oxford from 1999 to 2002. After college, she studied law and became a barrister in 2006.
Her Career in Media
Afua Hirsch has had a varied career in journalism and television. She uses her skills to explore important topics.
As a Journalist
Afua Hirsch started as a legal correspondent for The Guardian newspaper. She lived in Britain and Senegal. She also worked as The Guardian's West Africa correspondent, based in Accra, Ghana.
Later, from 2014 to 2017, she was the Social Affairs and Education Editor at Sky News. She has also written for many other well-known publications. These include The Observer, The Evening Standard, and Vogue.
In 2019, she wrote a piece called "What Does It Mean to Be African?" for a book called New Daughters of Africa.
Discussing Historical Monuments
In 2017, Afua Hirsch wrote an article in The Guardian. She asked if monuments like Nelson's Column should be looked at differently. She wanted people to think more carefully about Britain's past. Her goal was to help people understand history better today. She explained that she wasn't trying to remove statues. Instead, she wanted to encourage deeper discussions about history.
Her Books
Afua Hirsch is also a successful author. Her books explore important ideas about identity and history.
Brit(ish)
Her book Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging was published in 2018. It is partly about her own life experiences. The book also discusses black history, culture, and politics in Britain, Senegal, and Ghana. It became a very popular book, appearing on the Sunday Times bestseller list.
Decolonising My Body
In 2023, Afua Hirsch released another book called Decolonising My Body: A Radical Exploration of Rituals and Beauty. This book explores how identity and society shape a person physically. It builds on the themes from her first book.
TV Shows and Documentaries
Afua Hirsch has presented several television programs. These shows often explore history, culture, and identity.
The Battle for Britain's Heroes
In 2018, Afua Hirsch presented a TV show called The Battle for Britain's Heroes. It aired on Channel 4. In the show, she looked at different sides of historical figures. For example, she discussed less-known aspects of former British prime minister Winston Churchill's career. The show encouraged viewers to think about history in a more complete way.
Enslaved
Afua Hirsch co-presented a six-part TV series called Enslaved in 2020. She worked alongside actor Samuel L. Jackson. The series explored the history of the transatlantic slave trade. It also showed how this history connects to her own family background.
African Renaissance: When Art Meets Power
In 2020, Afua Hirsch presented another documentary series on BBC Four. It was called African Renaissance: When Art Meets Power. In this series, she traveled to Ethiopia, Senegal, and Kenya. She met musicians and artists and shared the history of each country.
Africa Rising with Afua Hirsch
In June 2023, Afua Hirsch presented a three-part BBC documentary series. It was titled Africa Rising with Afua Hirsch. The show explored how young creative people are changing culture across Africa.
Teaching at University
Afua Hirsch also teaches. She holds a special position at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She teaches journalism and communication there.
Awards and Recognition
Afua Hirsch has received several honors for her work.
In 2019, she was a judge for the Booker Prize for Fiction. This is a very important award for books. Later that year, she was included in the Powerlist 2020. This list names the most influential Britons of African or African-Caribbean heritage.
In 2020, New African magazine named her one of the top 100 most influential Africans. In 2021, she was ranked ninth on the Powerlist 2021. This made her one of the top 10 most influential people of African or African Caribbean heritage in the UK.
In 2024, Afua Hirsch was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Personal Life
Afua Hirsch is in a relationship with her partner, Sam. They met while both were working in law. Sam is from Tottenham, North London, and has Ghanaian roots. Their daughter was born in 2011.
