James Walvin

Born in Manchester England in 1942, James Walvin spent his career as an academic historian at the University of York. He was a pioneer of the history of Britain's black community; his book Back and White, won the Martin Luther King Memorial Prize for 1974. He subsequently helped to establish the importance of the British involvement with Atlantic slavery. He was, in addition, the first historian to write a serious study of the history of British football. His book The People's Game, stayed in print for forty years. His recent books on slavery have been widely praised for their combination of scholarly detail while being accessible and readable. His most recent book, A World Transformed. Slavery in the Americas and the Origins of Global Power, has received praise for its sweep, and its compelling argument. His work has also been marked by a firm commitment to public history and he has been an active broadcaster and advisor in numerous public exhibitions and programmes. Walvin was awarded an O.B.E.in 2008 for his services to scholarship.