British South Asians have a long tradition of radical political activism.

The 1970s and 1980s saw the community grappling with prejudice in the workplace and violence in the streets. But this history is deeper than you might think, from students agitating for independence at the heart of the British Empire to seafarers organising global strikes on the eve of the Second World War.

In Come what may, we’re here to stay, journalist and debut author Taj Ali reveals how successive generations fought for rights, dignity and a sense of belonging while actively shaping the country they now call home. He shows that British South Asian political life has often been defined less by religious difference than by shared commitments to anti-imperialism and anti-racism. In pursuit of these goals, alliances have been forged with other movements, from Irish republicanism to Black Power.

As racism rears its ugly head again, Come what may, we’re here to stay asks: are we doomed to repeat the past or will we learn from our mistakes and build a better world together?

Taj Ali is a journalist and historian. He is the former editor of Tribune and regularly appears as a commentator on the BBC, as well as contributing to the Guardian, Al Jazeera English and others. In 2025 he set up Anti-Racist Radar, an organisation that monitors and reports on racist attacks in the UK. For his work on hate crime and Islamophobia he was chosen as a finalist for the 2026 Orwell Prize.

Our conversation host, Dr Anita Sethi, was born and grew up in Manchester, UK and is an award-winning writer and author of the acclaimed book I Belong Here: a Journey Along the Backbone of Britain.

Copies of Come what may, we’re here to stay will be available to purchase from the Museum shop on the evening.