Leslie James

Leslie James is a Senior Lecturer in Global History at Queen Mary University of London, joining in 2017. Previously, they held a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at the University of Birmingham and was a Lecturer in World History at the University of Cambridge. Their research focuses on print cultures, imperial and anti-imperial histories, decolonization, the Cold War, and African/Caribbean studies. Key projects include examining West African and Caribbean newspapers as sites of decolonization dialogue and the intellectual legacy of anti-colonial organizer George Padmore.

Research interests include black radical discourses, transnational anti-colonial networks, and the role of ephemeral media in late colonial periods. Funded by the Leverhulme Trust, CRASSH, and the Macmillan Center for International Studies, they also host a British Academy Visiting Fellowship. Current work analyzes newspapers in West Africa and the Caribbean as creative spaces for decolonial thought.

Publications include George Padmore and Decolonization from Below (2015) and co-edited Decolonization and the Cold War (2015). They are part of the AHRC-funded Afro-Asian Networks Research Collective. Supervising two PhD students, their advising focuses on decolonization, diaspora, and identity formation.

Awards include the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship and British Academy Visiting Fellowship. Public engagement includes podcasts like The Padmore Network, exploring Pan-Africanism's grassroots foundations.