Steve Biko – leader of the Black Consciousness Movement – was one of the key figures in the liberation struggle in South Africa. The radical student leader, who arguably rivalled the importance of Nelson Mandela during the 1960s and 1970s, is the subject of a new biography by Dr Derek Hook, of Birkbeck’s Department of Psychosocial Studies.

In this podcast, Dr Hook explains the significance of Biko’s anti-apartheid campaign and his death in police custody. He also discusses his own dilemma about writing the book from his perspective as a white South African. He explains how the process of writing the book became an intellectual and historical project, rather than a political attempt to represent the views of Biko.