Speaking
Arguments that hold upin a difficult room.
Keynotes, panels and closed executive sessions — for institutions that would rather be told the accurate thing than the comfortable one.
Enquire about a dateSignature topics
What the record leaves out
Memory, power and the archive — how institutions decide what a country remembers, and what that decision costs. Drawn from the memoir.
Universities · Literary festivals · Cultural institutions
Reading political risk where power is exercised
Why conventional risk models misprice African markets, and a practical method for mapping veto points, regulatory calendars and institutional memory.
Investors · Boards · Development finance
Two political grammars: Africa and China
What actually breaks bilateral partnerships — and the structures that keep them intact through the second and third year.
Summits · Trade platforms · Chambers
Institutions that outlive their founders
Governance, succession design and the discipline of delegated authority tested before it is needed.
Executive teams · Foundations · Public entities
Formats
Keynote
35–45 minutes
A single argument, delivered without slides, followed by moderated questions.
Fireside & panel
45–60 minutes
In conversation on geopolitics, memory or Africa–China relations.
Executive workshop
Half day
Closed-room session on risk mapping, narrative strategy or governance design.
Reading & conversation
60 minutes
Passages from What Light Cannot Touch with audience discussion.
Audiences
- Universities and research institutes
- Sovereign and development finance institutions
- Corporate boards and executive committees
- Literary and cultural festivals
- Bilateral trade and diplomacy platforms
- Youth leadership networks
Booking
Enquiries should include date, city, audience, format and whether travel and accommodation are covered. Confirmation usually within three business days. Press kit, biography and photography are available on the press page.
Start an enquiryThe Dispatch
Occasional letters on power, memory and the record.
New essays, publication news and speaking dates. Sent rarely, never shared.