Library of Congress – Recording the Kenyan Emergency (1952-1960)

This project will utilize the Library of Congress (LoC) collections to enhance my PhD thesis, which explores visual and textual representations of the Kenya Emergency (1952-1960). The LoC houses unique resources, including memoirs from African insurgents (Mau Mau), photographic collections, and newspaper archives that are unavailable in the UK or Kenya. By analysing these materials, I aim to expand my study of how the British visual culture of empire and colonial insurgency was presented to the British public, and to examine whether these representations reached wider global audiences, including the United States. The LoC’s large collection of Kenyan literature offers critical insights into the historical narrative of this conflict from an African perspective, enabling a more inclusive study of the Emergency that aligns with decolonial historical practices. A key aspect of my research is newspaper coverage, and the LoC holds the only accessible copies of Tribune magazine - a significant source of discourse on the Emergency in the UK. This project will provide important international context, exploring the role of British propaganda in shaping global perceptions of the conflict. In addition to contributing to my thesis, this research will deepen understandings of colonial propaganda and its international implications. I will disseminate findings through publications, conferences, and public talks, contributing to global debates on colonialism, decolonisation, and propaganda. This fellowship will not only enrich my thesis but also offer a broader scholarly contribution by expanding the scope of research on the Kenya Emergency and the global reach of British colonial narratives.