Dr. Sue Onslow

Biography

Sue Onslow is a leading oral history practitioner with extensive experience in academia. She lectured at the London School of Economics in the Department of War Studies from 1994 to 2012. Following this, she worked at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the School of Advanced Study, University of London, where she served as Deputy Director from 2015 to 2020, and as Director from 2022 to 2023. Onslow has been the lead interviewer for major oral history projects, notably the 'An Oral History Modern Commonwealth' covering the years 1965 to 2012. Her publications include co-editing 'Southern Africa Cold War post-1974' and works on Robert Mugabe, the non-aligned movement, and the Cold War in Southern Africa. Notably, her recent work includes the edited volume 'Consuls Cold War' published by Brill in 2023. Onslow is also a frequent media commentator on issues related to the Commonwealth and Zimbabwe. Currently, she is preparing a monograph on the Commonwealth during the Cold War Era. Her research interests prominently include Contemporary British history, particularly decolonization and foreign policy during the 1980s and 1990s, and the contemporary history and politics of Southern Africa, especially Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Research Interests