Sheela Banerjee: What's in a Name?: Friendship, Identity and History in Modern Multicultural Britain

Sceptre, 2024, softcover, 336 pages, 12.8 x 19.6 cm

Our names are so mundane we hardly notice them. Yet behind each one lie countless stories: of belonging and persecution, colonialism and resistance, cultural inheritance and conflicted identity.

In this intimate exploration of British multiculturalism, Sheela Banerjee traces the personal histories of friends and family through their names. Spanning centuries and continents - from west London to India, 1960s Jamaica to pre-Revolutionary Russia - What's in a Name? is a remarkable ode to friendship and a vital celebration of Britain's diverse history.