In recent years, the history of the British Empire has become a very controversial, and heavily politicised topic within the UK. While some have sought, especially in the light of the Black Lives Matter movement, to draw attention to long-buried aspects of its racism and violence, others, associated especially with the populist right wing that dominated under the last Conservative government, have reacted with vigorous defences of the Empire's morality and beneficial effects. At our Online Talk #AfterTheEmpire, historical geographer Alan Lester considers how historical research and the politics of imperial history coalesce. About the speaker: Alan Lester is Professor of Historical Geography at the University of Sussex, UK and Adjunct Professor of History at La Trobe University, Australia. He has been researching, teaching and writing about British colonialism for over thirty years. His latest book is The Truth About Empire: Real Histories of British Colonialism, published by Hurst in 2024.