Biography

Peter is Professor of Global History at Oxford University and UNESCO Professor of Silk Roads Studies at King’s College, Cambridge.

He is the author of several bestselling and widely translated books, including The Silk Roads: A New History of the World (2015), named a Sunday Times Book of the Decade and a No.1 bestseller in multiple countries, and its follow‑up The New Silk Roads (2018), winner of the Carical Prize for Social Sciences.

His latest book, The Earth Transformed: An Untold History (2023), became an international bestseller and was selected as a Book of the Year by the Financial Times, The Times, The Guardian and others.

A Fellow of multiple learned societies, Frankopan serves as President of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs and advises governments and global institutions on international affairs and geopolitics.

Frequently described as a “rockstar historian”, he has been hailed as “the first great historian of the 21st century.”

About City Lit Fellows

City Lit Fellowships were established by the Board of Governors in 2015.

They are awarded to individuals who have shown a significant commitment to adult education in the United Kingdom and who have provided support and inspiration to City Lit and our students.

Our Fellows represent a remarkable community of cultural leaders, creatives, and public figures, including actor Gillian Anderson OBE, broadcaster and former Cabinet Minister Ed Balls, and Turner Prize–winning artist Sir Grayson Perry CBE.

Together, they reflect the breadth of talent and generosity that enriches City Lit’s mission and amplifies the transformative power of adult learning.