BPP welcomes historian William Dalrymple as Patron
Posted: 17th October 2025
We are honoured to welcome William Dalrymple as a Patron of the Britain Palestine Project. Dalrymple is an internationally acclaimed historian and award-winning author whose works include White Mughals, The Last Mughal, Return of a King, and The Anarchy. His books have won major prizes (from the Wolfson History Prize to the Duff Cooper and Hemingway awards) and he has been recognised with honours such as the British Academy’s President’s Medal. He is also co-founder of the Jaipur Literature Festival and co-host of the chart-topping Empire podcast. William lives on a farm outside Delhi and is currently working on a new history of Palestine, underscoring his lifelong engagement with the region’s story.
A Historian Bridging Past and Present
William Dalrymple’s historical scholarship and contemporary focus perfectly mirror the mission of the Britain Palestine Project. As an organisation, BPP is committed to an approach that is evidence based, historically informed and rooted in upholding international law. We emphasise Britain’s historical responsibility in Palestine and the duty to address past injustices as a foundation for a just peace. Dalrymple’s body of work exemplifies this ethos: he has spent his career illuminating the legacy of empire and how it shapes present-day realities. His insights into history’s lessons – from colonial-era conflicts to their modern repercussions – will strengthen our effort to make Britain’s past and contemporary role in the region a permanent part of the national conversation.
Illuminating Gaza’s History and Britain’s Legacy
William’s current projects demonstrate his commitment to making history relevant now. He is co-presenting a major 12-part series on the history of Gaza on the Empire podcast, exploring Gaza’s story from ancient times through empires and up to the modern era. The latest episodes of this series shine a light on critical chapters of Gaza’s past – for example, examining the British Mandate in Palestine (with its imported Black and Tans and escalating tensions in the 1920s) and how imperial policies impacted the region. Dalrymple and his co-host Anita Anand are bringing to a wide audience a richer understanding of how Gaza became what it is today. This endeavour reflects BPP’s belief in historical awareness as a tool for contemporary justice: understanding Gaza’s long history provides essential context for the humanitarian crises and political struggles unfolding now.
Our latest Palestine Matters podcast episode, “Britain’s Historical Legacy,”features William in discussion with Sir Vincent Fean (BPP Trustee and former British Consul-General in Jerusalem) about Britain’s historic role in Palestine and why it matters today. Their dialogue – now available on all podcast platforms – offers timely insight into how events from the Balfour era and the Mandate period continue to reverberate in today’s Israel-Palestine context. We also co-hosted William on a panel with veteran Palestinian diplomat, Afif Safieh and former Scottish First Minister, Husam Yousaf at the Beyond Border Scotland. We encourage you to listen to this thoughtful exchange, which underscores exactly why William’s perspective is so valuable to our mission.
With thanks,
Andrew Whitley
Chair, Britain Palestine Project