This fact took me entirely by surprise: the land size of Namibia is about 3.5x the land size of Ghana. It was a wow moment for me, especially given that there are some 33 million people in Ghana while Namibia has just under 3.5 million according to their most recent census. I was having a … Continue reading Namib Notes III: From Katutura to Matutura: place names and (post)colonial spatial planning
Colonial heritage
Namib Notes: Welcome to Windy Windhoek
Well, it's technically not too windy but Windy Windhoek does make for a nice alliterative title for the post - if you get what I mean :). While it might not be too windy, Windhoek is quite the hilly city which can only be good for my love of walking. I arrived in the storied … Continue reading Namib Notes: Welcome to Windy Windhoek
Vacancy Notice: Three PhD positions for the ERC project, ‘The generative tensions of slavery and colonial heritage tourism’
I am excited to annouce that I am recruiting for 3 PhD positions on my ERC Starting Grant Project which are to start from September 2025. The vacancy details are below and have been published on the Wageningen University website and Academictransfer.nl https://www.wur.nl/en/vacancy/three-phd-positions-for-the-erc-project-the-generative-tensions-of-slavery-and-colonial-heritage-tourism.htm https://www.academictransfer.com/en/346580/three-phd-positions-for-the-erc-project-the-generative-tensions-of-slavery-and-colonial-heritage-tourism/ Check out the details if this is something for you or … Continue reading Vacancy Notice: Three PhD positions for the ERC project, ‘The generative tensions of slavery and colonial heritage tourism’
I have an ERC Starting Grant! 5-year research project funded!
The author is ecstatic about being awarded a European Research Council Starting Grant for a 5-year research project, expressing gratitude to God and colleagues. The project, FRICTIONS, focuses on how tourism impacts slavery and colonial heritage, aiming to shift societal narratives. The author plans to recruit 3 PhD candidates and a Postdoc to join the research team. Despite the challenges during the application process, the author encourages unsuccessful applicants and acknowledges their efforts. The post also hints at upcoming vacancies and promises more details about the project. The author concludes by congratulating other grant awardees and wishing good luck to those who were not successful.
[New paper, Open Access] The spatial narratives and representation of slavery and colonial heritage on guided tours in Amsterdam
This paper discusses the representation of slavery and colonial heritage on guided tours in Amsterdam, focusing on the spatial narratives used by tour guides and the factors shaping these narratives. The research highlights the influence of creating a positive atmosphere in engaging tourists with these sensitive topics. Additionally, the study provides a spatial mapping of the specific geographic sites in Amsterdam where slavery and colonial heritage narratives are told. The paper aims to showcase the transformative potential of tourism and tour guides in addressing slavery and heritage in a European urban setting.
Wageningen: my guided walking tour of the traces of the slavery and colonial past
It is one thing to dream about it, one thing to get funding to research about it, one thing to teach about it and surely one thing to actually be the one to do it. This was a fully embodied experience for me. How could I have seen it when I first set out my … Continue reading Wageningen: my guided walking tour of the traces of the slavery and colonial past
Keti Koti 2024 in Wageningen
Are you aware of what is ahead on 30 June / 1 July in the Netherlands? Are you resident in Wageningen or surrounding areas? Over the coming few days we will be celebrating Keti Koti in Wageningen. On the afternoon of Sunday 30 June, I will be leading an interactive guided walking tour through the … Continue reading Keti Koti 2024 in Wageningen
[New paper, Open Access] Commemoration and commodification: slavery heritage, Black travel and the #YearofReturn2019 in Ghana
It took a while to cook this to the right taste but it is well done now....we are delighted to invite you to savour and enjoy this freshly baked off the hot press research article that has been published in the Tourism Geographies journal. This article forms part of the outputs from my ongoing NWO … Continue reading [New paper, Open Access] Commemoration and commodification: slavery heritage, Black travel and the #YearofReturn2019 in Ghana
Natal Notes: Olá, bem-vindo to Brazil
For the next two weeks, I have the privilege of being a visiting professor at the Department of Tourism of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Natal, Brazil. Among other things, I am teaching on a course on critical tourism studies, undertaking research fieldwork, delivering a keynote at a conference here and … Continue reading Natal Notes: Olá, bem-vindo to Brazil
Das Afrikanische Viertel and colonial traces in Berlin: a fieldwork report
This past weekend, I have been on a scoping research visit to Berlin exploring the transformative memory work of tourism in relation to slavery and colonial heritage. It was exciting for me heading to Berlin after 12 years. My first visit to Berlin was in 2012 as part of a study trip during my Erasmus … Continue reading Das Afrikanische Viertel and colonial traces in Berlin: a fieldwork report