Afua Hirsch

Afua Hirsch is an award-winning writer, journalist, former barrister, and filmmaker known for her insightful storytelling on culture, identity, and social justice. She currently serves as the Wallis Annenberg Chair of Journalism at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and holds honorary doctorates from London's South Bank University and The University of Oxford Brookes. Hirsch presents the BBC flagship documentary series "Africa Rising," and "Enslaved," a 6-part series about the transatlantic slave trade with Samuel L. Jackson, created through her production company, Born in Me Productions.

Hirsch's recent book "Decolonising My Body," published in 2023, blends memoir and narrative non-fiction to explore themes of beauty, rituals, and ancestry as an approach to radical justice. Her writing achievements include the bestselling "Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging" (2018), which won the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Prize, "Equal To Everything" (2019) about the UK Supreme Court, and "Empire: Look Again" (2021) published by Tate. Additionally, she is the writer and host for the BBC's "African Renaissance" and co-hosts Epix's "Enslaved" alongside Samuel L. Jackson.

Beyond her writing and academic roles, Hirsch is a regular contributor to major publications such as The Guardian, The New York Times, and has written cover stories for both Vogue and TIME. She also co-founded the fashion brand Sika and hosts the podcast series "LEGACY" for Wondery. Her influence and contributions to discussions on culture and identity have been recognized widely, evidenced by her inclusion in the BBC’s Powerlist 2021 and her role as the Advisory Chair of the prestigious Edinburgh TV Festival.