‘There are two kinds of antiracism. Only one works, and it has nothing to do with diversity training.’

In his latest book, leading British-American author Arun Kundnani examines the history of the anti-racism movement. 

He analyses two different movements. One emerged as a reaction to Nazism and from the beginning it focused on individual behavioural change. It underpins present-day liberal anti-racism, with its diversity training and Hollywood activism. However, this movement full of good intentions does not touch on structural oppression. 

There is also another, more radical current. Anti-colonial thinkers like C.L.R. James, Claudia Jones and Frantz Fanon dissected racism as a system within broader economic and political structures. They linked racism to colonialism, imperialism and capitalism. Kundnani demonstrates that only this tradition of thought leads to the heart of the problem and is therefore the only one that points the way to meaningful social change. 

What is antiracism? And why it means anticapitalism was published in 2023 by Verso Books, and appeared in Dutch translation by EPO uitgeverij in January 2025.

On Thursday 11 September, Arun Kundnani will present his book at Spreken is Goud by De Roma on location in Troubleyn. 

Writer, screenwriter and audio producer Abbie Boutkabout, known for the podcast This is what I read, will engage in conversation with the author and his guests, the writer Dalilla Hermans and the researcher Koen Bogaert.

The evening will be conducted in English.

Arun Kundnani lives and works in the United States and is a researcher at the Transational Institute in Amsterdam. The Guardian calls him ‘one of the UK's best political thinkers.’ He has written for The Nation Newspaper, The Washington Post and The Intercept, among others. His previous publications include The Muslims are Coming! Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror (Verso, 2014) and The End of Tolerance: Racism in 21st Century Britain (Pluto, 2007).

Dalilla Hermans is a writer, theatre maker, podcast host, illustrator, curator and much more. The common thread throughout her diverse work is storytelling and anti-racism. She has published numerous opinion pieces and seven books, including Het laatste wat ik nog wil zeggen over racisme (2020). She wrote and directed three plays: ‘her(e)’, ‘Us (k)now’, and ‘Queen (M)other’. Recently, *Wij/Zij*, created and performed together with her husband, premiered in Antwerp.

Koen Bogaert is a professor at Ghent University and a researcher at the Middle East and North Africa Research Group (MENARG). He lectures on colonial and postcolonial history, with a particular focus on the anti-colonial movements against slavery and racism. His latest book, In het Spoor van Fanon. Orde, wanorde en dekolonisering, was published by EPO (2023).

Abbie Boutkabout is a writer, screenwriter and interviewer. After years of experience as a video reporter and communications manager in the media and cultural sector, she now focuses on writing scripts for film and television, and is working on a novel. She was active with the anti-racist organisation Kif Kif and hosted This Is What I Read, a podcast about books on the decolonial and intersectional spectrum.