David Olusoga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Olusoga
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Olusoga in 2022
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| Born | David Adetayo Olusoga January 1970 (age 55) Lagos, Nigeria |
| Occupation | Historian, writer, broadcaster |
| Language | English |
| Citizenship | British |
| Alma mater | University of Liverpool |
| Notable works | Black and British: A Forgotten History (2016) |
| Notable awards | Hessell-Tiltman Prize |
David Adetayo Olusoga is a well-known British historian, writer, and TV presenter. He was born in January 1970. He teaches history at the University of Manchester and has made many history documentaries for the BBC. You might have seen him on shows like The One Show or read his articles in The Guardian.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Olusoga was born in Lagos, Nigeria. When he was five, he moved to the UK with his mother and grew up in Gateshead. His family faced difficult times because of racism, which sadly forced them to move.
Later, David studied history at the University of Liverpool. He focused on the history of slavery. In 1994, he earned his history degree. After that, he studied broadcast journalism at Leeds Trinity University.
Career in Television
David Olusoga started his TV career in 1999. He worked as a researcher for a BBC series called Western Front. After university, he became a television producer. He helped create history shows from 2005 onwards. Some of these shows included Namibia: Genocide and the Second Reich and Abraham Lincoln: Saint or Sinner?.
Becoming a TV Presenter
In 2014, David started presenting TV shows himself. His first show was The World's War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire. This series was about the Indian, African, and Asian troops who fought in the First World War. He also appeared on BBC One's The One Show.
In 2015, it was announced that he would co-present Civilisations. This show was a follow-up to a famous 1969 TV series. He presented it with other historians, Mary Beard and Simon Schama.
His more recent TV series include:
- Black and British: A Forgotten History
- The World's War
- A House Through Time
- Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners (which won a BAFTA award)
Impact of His Work
When the Black Lives Matter movement grew, David's shows became very important. His series Black and British: A Forgotten History and Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners were shown again. This helped more people learn about these important topics.
In 2020, David interviewed Barack Obama for a special BBC program. They talked about Obama's book, A Promised Land. In 2021, David was a guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.
Books and Writing
David Olusoga has written several history books. Some of these books go along with his TV series.
His book Black and British: A Forgotten History was published in 2016. It won two awards in 2017: the Longman–History Today Trustees Award and the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize.
Other books he has written include:
- The World’s War (2015), which won First World War Book of the Year.
- The Kaiser’s Holocaust (2011), which he wrote with Casper Erichsen.
- Civilisations (2018).
He has also written for many newspapers and magazines. These include The Guardian, The Observer, New Statesman, and BBC History magazine. Since 2018, he has been on the board of the Scott Trust, which publishes The Guardian.
In 2024, David worked with his siblings, Yinka and Kemi. They created a book called Black History for Every Day of the Year. This book has an entry for each day of the year. It shares details about events, themes, people, or places connected to Black history. Their goal is to make Black history a regular part of national history.
Awards and Recognition
David Olusoga has received many awards for his work. He is recognized for his contributions to history and for helping different communities come together.
Some of his awards and honors include:
- 2015: Royal Historical Society Public History Prize for Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners.
- 2015: World War One Book of the Year for The World's War.
- 2016: BAFTA TV Award for Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners.
- 2017: Honorary Degree from the University of Liverpool.
- 2017: Longman–History Today Trustees Award for Black and British.
- 2017: PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize for Black and British.
- 2018: Honorary Degree from the University of Leeds.
- 2019: Appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He received this medal from King Charles III in 2023.
- 2019: Honorary Degree from the University of Leicester.
- 2021: President's Medal from the British Academy. This award recognizes his services to the humanities and social sciences.
He has also been listed in the Powerlist. This list names the 100 most influential Black Britons. In 2021, he was ranked among the top 10 most influential people on this list.
Filmography (TV Shows)
- The World's War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire (2014)
- Fighting for King and Empire: Britain's Caribbean Heroes (2015)
- The One Show (various episodes)
- Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners (2015)
- Black and British: A Forgotten History (2016)
- Timewatch: "British Empire – Heroes and Villains" and "Dictators and Despots" (both 2017)
- Civilisations (two episodes) (2018)
- A House Through Time (2018–2024)
- The Unwanted: The Secret Windrush Files (2019)
- Statue Wars: One Summer in Bristol (2021)
- Our NHS: A Hidden History (2021)
- The People's Piazza: A History of Covent Garden (2022)
- Union with David Olusoga (2023)
Books
- The Kaiser's Holocaust: Germany's Forgotten Genocide and the Colonial Roots of Nazism (2011) (with Casper W. Erichsen)
- The World's War (2015)
- Black and British: A Forgotten History (2016)
- Civilisations: First Contact/The Cult of Progress (2018)
- The Black History Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained (2021)
- Black History for Every Day of the Year (2024) (with Yinka Olusoga and Kemi Olusoga)
Images for kids
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Olusoga in 2022
