We speak with South African broadcaster and author Joanne Joseph about her novel Children of Sugarcane, set mostly in 19th century colonial India and South Africa and telling the story of a female indentured Indian labourer migrating to work at a plantation in the Colony of Natal. We speak about Joanne's own family history and how it inspired her to dig deeper into what has been a largely neglected story of shared Indian, South-African and British history. We also discuss the merits of teaching history through fiction and the wider role of education both in her book and in society at large.

More on historical fiction in the classroom? Sign up for EuroClio's webinar with history teacher Sally Burham on 11 July!