Bijan Omrani
Bijan Omrani
Bijan Omrani
Born1979
York, England
OccupationWriter, scholar, teacher
NationalityBritish
SubjectTravel, Classical History, Afghanistan and Central Asia, Middle Eastern Current Affairs
SpouseSamantha Knights KC
Website
bijanomrani.com

Bijan Omrani is a British historian, journalist, teacher, barrister and author of Persian descent. His work ranges from Classical scholarship to current affairs across Asia.

Early life and education

Omrani was born in York, England, in 1979. He studied at the Wellington College, Berkshire before reading Classics and English Literature at Lincoln College, Oxford. He later studied at King's College London. He has a doctorate in Classics and Ancient History from the University of Exeter.[1]

Family and personal life

Omrani is related to one of the British Army officers responsible for demarcating the northern boundary of Afghanistan in 1885 and surveying Afghan tribal territories in the North West Frontier Province, the artist and surveyor Lt Richard Eyles Galindo.[2]

His paternal family is from north-western Iran, and his maternal one from England, though with the British Empire in India in the 18th–19th century.

He is married to Samantha Knights KC, a barrister at Matrix Chambers.

Career

Omrani taught Classics at Eton College and Westminster School where he contributed new Latin verse to school ceremonies. He was editor of the Asian Affairs journal from 2014-2022. He was called to the Bar in 2018.[3] He is an Honorary Associate Research Fellow in the department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter.[4] He also lectures at the British Museum, Royal Society for Asian Affairs, SOAS, King's College London, and the Pakistan Society. He is a trustee of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs.

He is the author of several books, as well as a frequent contributor for specialised articles pertaining the Afghanistan-Pakistan border problems. His 2005 book on Afghanistan, co-authored with Matthew Leeming, was described in The Telegraph in 2022 as "one of the best books of any genre ever written about the country".[5] He has previously questioned the legal basis of the Durand Agreement but now he considers it to be valid but unsatisfactory, and that there is an urgent need for a wider regional solution to the problem perhaps based on a recognition of the line but combined with shared sovereignty in the neighbouring tribal areas.

Omrani was interviewed by France 24 in 2011 about the Afghan-Pakistani border problems,[6] and was also featured in The New York Times in 2011, after an incident on the Pakistani border.[7]

His 2017 book, Caesar's Footprints: Journeys to Roman Gaul, has the distinction of being endorsed both by the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson,[8] as well as the French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, who took the book to read whilst on the road campaigning during the European Elections in May 2019.[9] Omrani was interviewed about the book on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme after its UK launch in June 2017.[10] The book was shortlisted in 2018 for the American Library in Paris Book Award, for "the most distinguished book of the year, written and published in English, about France or the French."

He is a regular contributor to the Literary Review,[11] The Critic,[12] and The Oldie.[13] In public debates has critiqued the notion of cultural appropriation. [14] [15]

In 2021, Omrani led a successful campaign to keep the National Trust property Shute Barton open to the public.[16] [17]

Books

  • Afghanistan, A Companion and Guide, (Odyssey, 2005, republished 2007, 2nd edition 2010)[18]
  • Asia Overland: Tales of Travel on the Trans-Siberian and Silk Road (Odyssey, 2010)[19]
  • Iran: Persia Ancient and Modern (co-author), (Odyssey, 2010)[20]
  • Caesar's Footprints (Head of Zeus, 2017; Pegasus Books 2018 (US))[21]

Contributor of chapters

  • Beyond the 'Wild Tribes': Understanding Afghanistan and its diaspora (2010)[22]
  • Afghanistan Revealed: Beyond the Headlines,[23] released by the Afghan Appeal Fund, 2012[24]

Academic articles and speeches

Afghanistan

  • “Will we make it to Jalalabad?” 19th century travels in Afghanistan (2006)[25]
  • "Afghanistan and the Search for Unity" (2007)[26]
  • "The Durand Line: History and Problems of the Afghan-Pakistan Border" (2009)[28]
  • "Rethinking the Durand Line: The Legality of the Afghan-Pakistan Frontier" (October 2009)[29]
  • "Making Money in Afghanistan: The First Western Entrepreneurs 1880-1919"[30]
  • "The Durand Line: Analysis of the Legal Status of the Disputed Afghanistan-Pakistan Frontier" [31]

Classics

  • Virgil: Eclogues 4.28 (with Prof. David Kovacs)[33]
  • Address to the Horatian Society (2014), published in the proceedings of the Society[35]

Awards

  • Caesar's Footprints - Shortlisted for the American Library in Paris Book Award 2018,[36] for "the most distinguished book of the year, written and published in English, about France or the French."
  • BBC Radio 3 Sonnet Prize, 2001, for a sonnet on "Holy Baptism".

Memberships

References

  1. ↑ Omrani, B. (3 August 2020). Euripides: Old Gods and New Philosophies: Presocratic thought in the Plays of Euripides (Thesis).
  2. ↑ Staff. "Richard Eyles Galindo. Rank: Lieutenant to Captain. Regiments: 14th Hussars ..." The National Archives. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  3. ↑ "Call to the Bar: Lincoln's Inn". The Times. 30 July 2018. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  4. ↑ "Dr B Omrani - Staff profile - University of Exeter, Department of Classics and Ancient History". Archived from the original on 23 April 2021.
  5. ↑ Obituaries, Telegraph (14 December 2022). "Matthew Leeming, remarkable writer on Afghanistan whose other ventures ranged from tile-making to a 'groutometer' – obituary". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  6. ↑ Staff (6 December 2011). "Bijan Omrani, historian". France 24. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  7. 1 2 Mackey, Robert (20 November 2011). "Pakistani Soldiers Died Near Long-Disputed Border". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  8. ↑ Carson, Chris. "Boris Johnson endorses Shute author's new book". East Devon 24. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  9. ↑ "Européennes: quand Édouard Philippe confie "adorer les campagnes"". www.lefigaro.fr. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  10. ↑ "Bijan Omrani - BBC Radio 4 interview on Caesar's Footprints, Today Programme 16/6/17". YouTube. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  11. ↑ "Literary Review - For People Who Devour Books". Literary Review. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  12. ↑ "Author: Bijan Omrani". The Critic Magazine. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "Bijan Omrani". The Oldie. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  14. ↑ "Cultural appropriation: compliment or theft? – Battle of Ideas 2017". Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "Vox pop - Appropriation culturelle : vol ou inspiration ?". TVMAG (in French). Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  16. ↑ Simpson, Craig (22 February 2021). "National Trust restricts access to medieval manor it has turned into holiday let". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  17. ↑ Parkman, Chloe (24 February 2021). "Devastation as National Trust plans to close Shute Barton". DevonLive. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  18. ↑ Staff. "Afghanistan: A Companion & Guide". Odyssey Books & Guides. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  19. ↑ Staff. "Asia Overland: Tales of Travel on the Trans-Siberian and Silk Road". Andrew Lownie Literary Agency. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  20. ↑ Staff. "Iran: Persia: Ancient & Modern". Odyssey Books & Guides. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  21. ↑ "title". Head of Zeus. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  22. ↑ Staff. "Beyond the 'Wild Tribes': Understanding Modern Afghanistan and its Diaspora". C. Hurst & Co. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  23. ↑ Staff (15 March 2014). "Voices on Afghanistan: Building schools for a better future". The National: World. Mubadala Development Company. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  24. ↑ Staff (18 December 2013). "New e-book 'essential reading' on Afghanistan". Afghan Appeal Fund. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  25. ↑ Omrani, Bijan (2006). "Will we make it to Jalalabad?". Asian Affairs. 37 (2): 161–174. doi:10.1080/03068370600661458. S2CID 162185406.
  26. ↑ Omrani, Bijan (2007). "Afghanistan and the Search for Unity". Asian Affairs. 38 (2): 145–157. doi:10.1080/03068370701349086. S2CID 162273503. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  27. ↑ Omrani, Bijan (2008). "Charles Masson of Afghanistan: Deserter, Scholar, Spy". Asian Affairs. 39 (2): 199–216. doi:10.1080/03068370802019075. S2CID 161769689.
  28. ↑ Omrani, Bijan (2009). "The Durand Line: History and Problems of the Afghan-Pakistan Border". Asian Affairs. 40 (2): 177–194. doi:10.1080/03068370902871508.
  29. ↑ Omrani, Bijan; Ledwidge, Frank (1 October 2009). "Rethinking the Durand Line". The RUSI Journal. 154 (5): 48–56. doi:10.1080/03071840903411988. ISSN 0307-1847. S2CID 154584716.
  30. ↑ Omrani, Bijan (2012). "Making Money in Afghanistan: The First Western Entrepreneurs 1880–1919". Asian Affairs. 43 (3): 374–392. doi:10.1080/03068374.2012.720059. S2CID 161300554.
  31. ↑ Omrani, Bijan (18 December 2018). "The Durand Line: Analysis of the Legal Status of the Disputed Afghanistan-Pakistan Frontier". University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review. 26 (1): 75.
  32. ↑ Omrani, Bijan (2001). "Sonnet on Holy Baptism". Bijan Omrani. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  33. ↑ Omrani, Bijan; Kovacs, Professor David (2012). "Virgil: Eclogues 4.28". Classical Quarterly. 62 (2): 866–868. doi:10.1017/S0009838812000390. S2CID 171047195.
  34. ↑ Omrani, Bijan (4 November 2012). "Latin Ode to the London Olympics". The Classical Anthology. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  35. ↑ Omrani, Bijan (8 October 2014). "Horace and the Persians – Horatian Society Address 2014". Bijan Omrani. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  36. ↑ "American Library in Paris Book Award 2018" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 January 2021.
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