Sam Dalrymple

Sam Dalrymple is a Scottish historian, author, and filmmaker whose work focuses on South Asian history, borders, and displacement. Dalrymple graduated from Oxford University as a Persian and Sanskrit scholar and also studied at the University of Isfahan and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in Iran. He has worked across South and Central Asia, including with Turquoise Mountain in Kabul and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Hunza and Lahore. This direct engagement with the region informs his approach to historical research and storytelling.

Dalrymple co-founded Project Dastaan, a peace-building initiative that reconnects refugees displaced by the 1947 Partition of India. Project Dastaan's work has been exhibited at institutions including the Smithsonian, Victoria and Albert Museum, Asian Art Museum, and Partition Museum, with support from organizations such as the British Council, Australia Council for the Arts, and the Ford Foundation. The project led to his filmmaking career; his debut film, "Child of Empire," premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received the inaugural XR History Award from the Körber-Stiftung Foundation. His animated series "Lost Migrations" sold out at BFI.

Dalrymple's debut book, "Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia," explores the fragmentation of the Indian Empire into twelve modern nations and examines how contemporary conflicts are often rooted in political decisions from the mid-20th century. The book became an international bestseller and was recognized by Financial Times, The Week, Spectator, BBC History Magazine, NPR, History Today, and Daunts. It was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize, the Eastern Eye Award for History, the Ramnath Goenka Sahithya Samman for Best Debut, and the Atta Galatta Non Fiction Prize.

Dalrymple's writing has appeared in the New York Times and The Spectator, and his work has been featured in TIME, The New Yorker, and The Economist. He is a columnist for Architectural Digest, and Travel & Leisure named him Champion of the Travel Narrative. Dalrymple is a keynote speaker on topics including borders, political risk, and the long-term impact of geopolitical decisions. His work emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical context behind modern borders and the ongoing effects of partition and displacement in South Asia.