Bijan Omrani is a British historian, journalist, teacher,

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

and author of

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

descent. His work ranges from Classical scholarship to cultural and religious history, as well as current affairs across Asia.

Early life and education

Omrani was born in

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

, England, in 1979. He studied at

Wellington College, Berkshire Wellington College is a co-educational public school providing education for boarding and day pupils in the village of Crowthorne, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. Wellington is a registered charity and currently educates roughly 1,100 pu ...

before reading Classics and English Literature at

Lincoln College, Oxford Lincoln College (formally, The College of the Blessed Mary and All Saints, Lincoln) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Lincoln was founded in 1427 by Richard Flemin ...

. He later studied at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

. He has a doctorate in Classics and Ancient History from the

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a research university in the West Country of England, with its main campus in Exeter, Devon. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of ...

Family and personal life

Omrani is related to one of the British Army officers responsible for demarcating the northern boundary of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

in 1885 and surveying Afghan tribal territories in the

North West Frontier Province The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP; ) was a province of British India from 1901 to 1947, of the Dominion of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955, and of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from 1970 to 2010. It was established on 9 November 1901 from ...

, the artist and

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the ...

Lt Richard Eyles Galindo. His paternal family is from north-western

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, and his maternal one from England, though with the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

in India in the 18th–19th century. He is married to Samantha Knights KC, a

Matrix Chambers Matrix Chambers is a barristers' chambers in Gray's Inn London, Brussels, and Geneva. Founded in April 2000 by 22 barristers from 7 different chambers, it now has over 90 independent and specialist lawyers who work throughout the UK and internat ...

Career

Omrani taught

Classics Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...

where he contributed new Latin verse to school ceremonies. He was editor of the ''

Asian Affairs ''Asian Affairs'', the journal of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, has been published continuously since 1914 (originally as the ''Journal of the Central Asian Society'', and from 1931 to 1969 as the ''Journal of the Royal Central Asian Soc ...

'' journal from 2014-2022. He was called to the Bar in 2018. He is an Honorary Associate Research Fellow in th
department of Classics and Ancient History
at the

. He also lectures at the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

Royal Society for Asian Affairs The Royal Society for Asian Affairs (RSAA) is a learned society based in London (United Kingdom). Its objective is to advance public knowledge and understanding of Asia through its worldwide networks, its public events, its publications and its s ...

SOAS The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

, King's College London, and the Pakistan Society. He was a trustee (2018-23) of th
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

, co-authored with

Matthew Leeming Matthew David Leeming (22 September 1964 – 29 November 2022) was a British adventurer and writer. Biography Leeming was born in Winchester to David Leeming, an industrialist, and Veronica Leeming (née Lyons). He spent his childhood in Winchest ...

, was described in

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...

in 2022 as "one of the best books of any genre ever written about the country". 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 France 24 ( in French) is a French state-owned publicly funded international news television network based in Paris. Its channels, broadcast in French, English, Arabic and Spanish, are aimed at the overseas market. Based in the Paris suburb ...

in 2011 about the Afghan-Pakistani border problems, and was also featured in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' in 2011, after an incident on the Pakistani border. His 2017 book, ''Caesar's Footprints: Journeys to Roman Gaul'', has the distinction of being endorsed both by the British Prime Minister,

Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...

, as well as the French Prime Minister

Édouard Philippe Édouard Charles Philippe (; born 28 November 1970) is a French politician serving as Mayor (France), mayor of Le Havre since 2020, previously holding the office from 2010 to 2017. He was Prime Minister of France from 15 May 2017 to 3 July 202 ...

, who took the book to read whilst on the road campaigning during the European Elections in May 2019. Omrani was interviewed about the book on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme after its UK launch in June 2017. 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 ''Literary Review'' is a British literary magazine founded in 1979 by Anne Smith, then head of the Department of English at the University of Edinburgh. Its offices are on Lexington Street in Soho. The magazine was edited for fourteen years b ...

The Critic ''The Critic'' is an American Adult animation, adult animated sitcom revolving around the life of New York film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by Jon Lovitz. It was created by writing partners Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who had previously worked as w ...

, and

The Oldie ''The Oldie'' is a British monthly magazine written for older people "as a light-hearted alternative to a press obsessed with youth and celebrity", according to its website. The magazine was launched in 1992 by Richard Ingrams, who was its edit ...

. In public debates has critiqued the notion of cultural appropriation. In 2021, Omrani led a successful campaign to keep the

National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

property Shute Barton open to the public.

Books

* ''Afghanistan, A Companion and Guide'', (Odyssey, 2005, republished 2007, 2nd edition 2010) * ''Asia Overland: Tales of Travel on the Trans-Siberian and Silk Road'' (Odyssey, 2010) * ''Iran: Persia Ancient and Modern'' (co-author), (Odyssey, 2010) * ''Caesar's Footprints'' (Head of Zeus, 2017; Pegasus Books 2018 (US)) * ''God is an Englishman: Christianity and the Creation of England'' (Forum Press, April 2025)

Contributor of chapters

* ''Beyond the 'Wild Tribes': Understanding Afghanistan and its diaspora'' (2010) * ''Afghanistan Revealed: Beyond the Headlines'', released by the Afghan Appeal Fund, 2012

Academic articles and speeches

Afghanistan

* “Will we make it to Jalalabad?” 19th century travels in Afghanistan (2006) * "Afghanistan and the Search for Unity" (2007) * "

Charles Masson Charles Masson (1800–1853) was the pseudonym of James Lewis, a British East India Company soldier, independent explorer and pioneering archaeologist and numismatist. He was the first European to discover the ruins of Harappa near Sahiwal in P ...

of Afghanistan: Deserter, Scholar, Spy" (2007) * "The Durand Line: History and Problems of the Afghan-Pakistan Border" (2009) * "Rethinking the Durand Line: The Legality of the Afghan-Pakistan Frontier" (October 2009) * "Making Money in Afghanistan: The First Western Entrepreneurs 1880-1919" *"The Durand Line: Analysis of the Legal Status of the Disputed Afghanistan-Pakistan Frontier"

Classics

* Joint Winner of

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

Sonnet A sonnet is a fixed poetic form with a structure traditionally consisting of fourteen lines adhering to a set Rhyme scheme, rhyming scheme. The term derives from the Italian word ''sonetto'' (, from the Latin word ''sonus'', ). Originating in ...

Competition, 2001 * Virgil: Eclogues 4.28 (with Prof. David Kovacs) * Author of Horatian

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

Ode to the

2012 London Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

, endorsed by

Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current ...

, and included in an anthology of Latin poetry * Address to the Horatian Society (2014), published in the proceedings of the Society

Awards

* ''Caesar's Footprints'' - Shortlisted for the American Library in Paris Book Award 2018, 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

* Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries,

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

, and

Royal Asiatic Society The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, commonly known as the Royal Asiatic Society, was established, according to its royal charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encourag ...

. Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Educators, City of London. Member of the

Athenaeum Athenaeum may refer to: Books and periodicals * ''Athenaeum'' (German magazine), a journal of German Romanticism, established 1798 * ''Athenaeum'' (British magazine), a weekly London literary magazine 1828–1921 * ''The Athenaeum'' (Acadia U ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Omrani, Bijan 1979 births 21st-century English historians Academics from York Academics of King's College London Academics of SOAS University of London Alumni of King's College London Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford Alumni of the University of Exeter British Asian writers Central Asian studies scholars Employees of the British Museum English classical scholars English educators English people of Iranian descent Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Fellows of the Royal Asiatic Society Living people People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire Schoolteachers from Yorkshire Writers from York