The Victorian period, viewed in the West as a time of self-confident progress, was experienced by Asians as a catastrophe, with foreign soldiers and merchants tearing apart the great empires which had once formed the heart of civilization.

In his new book From the Ruins of Empire: The Revolt Against the West and the Remaking of Asia, which he will discuss in this event Pankaj Mishra allows the reader to see foreign imperialism anew, through the eyes of the journalists, poets, radicals and charismatics who criss-crossed Europe and Asia – and through their thoughts and writings to understand how China, India and the Muslim World are remaking the world we know – in their own image, not that of the West.

Venue: Old Theatre, Old Building, London School of Economics
Speaker: Pankaj Mishra
Chair: Professor John Gray

Pankaj Mishra is the author of Temptations of the West, An End to Suffering, The Romantics and Butter Chicken in Ludhiana. He writes regularly for The Guardian, New York Times, New York Review of Books and New Statesman.

Suggested hashtag for this event for Twitter users: #lsemishra

This event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. For any queries email events@lse.ac.uk or call 020 7955 6043