YOUNG JIMI HENDRIX

I grew up on Nanpantan Road in a town called Loughborough, which is in the middle of England. Yes, those are real places.

immigrants

My grandma came to the UK from India on August 17, 1961. As the son of immigrants and as the product of two cultures – England and India – I’ve always been interested how identity is formed and our perception of the other.

VISTING IRAQI KURDISTAN IN 2009

When I was 13, I read ‘The Wars Against Saddam’ by John Simpson, which resulted in a strange love affair with all things related to the Middle East and my decision to study History and Politics at university.

LEICESTER CITY

Other things that shaped me when I was younger included my love of Leicester City (which endures) and being born hard of hearing, which has meant I’ve always worn hearing aids. One upside of this is that I was voracious reader when I was younger.

WORKING FOR PRESIDENT CARTER

My career probably peaked straight after university when I was lucky enough to work for former US President Jimmy Carter supporting mediation efforts in Sudan and South Sudan.