MEMOs Founding Editor Dr. Lubaaba Al-Azami has a new book, Travellers in the Golden Realm, forthcoming in July 2024. This captivating narrative delves into the experiences of the first English travellers in India and the profound impact of their encounters with an extraordinary superpower.

Scheduled for release in July 2024, Travellers in the Golden Realm transports readers to a time before the rise of the East India Company, and in turn, the British Empire, when England existed on the fringe of international affairs. In the 16^th and 17^th centuries merchants, pilgrims, and societal outcasts sought their fortunes in the kingdom of the formidable Mughals. Governed from opulent towers by influential women such as Empress Nur Jahan Begim, Queen Mother Maryam al-Zamani, and Princess Hahanara Begim, this land became the stage for a pivotal meeting of cultures.

This collision of worlds catalyzed a period of intense globalisation, spanning from the opium trade in China to the transatlantic slave trade. Dr. Al-Azami, drawing from a wealth of original sources, meticulously traces the roots of the complex relationship between these two nations- one an outsider, the other a superpower- whose legacies continue to shape our interconnected world. Through her narrative, she illuminates how their intertwined histories have left an indelible mark on contemporary cultures.

Dr. Lubaaba Al-Azami said: “I am delighted to be publishing my debut with John Murray Press this summer, a book that seeks to demystify an astonishing gap in our understanding of history, unearthing one of the most foundational moments in the development of the world as we know it today and the connection between two countries that have shaped it. Born out of years of research, it re-centres our western-centric and male-centric viewpoint by diving deep into Mughal India alongside the first English travellers who encountered it, forcing us to reconsider a history we thought we all knew. I hope that readers will enjoy discovering the unexpected twists revealed and the fascinating characters involved. And, like me, I hope that some will discover something of their own heritage in it too.”

Publishing Director at John Murray and Basic Books said: “Lubaaba retells the grand first English encounters with India before the East India Company, and upends our assumptions of the historical pecking order. It’s a sweeping global history told via the stories of lost individuals, and delivered by a fresh, exciting new voice. Lubaaba’s perspective- as an English woman of Bangladeshi descent- crosses British identity with Mughal ancestry in this breathtaking revival of a tempestuous and transformative period."

Travellers in the Golden Realm is available for preorder here.