The Dorset based Drax family are unique in that they are the only colonising family to still own a plantation in the West Indies. As global movements for racial justice continue to challenge the legacies of empire, Drax of Drax Hall offers a vital case study of how Britain’s colonial wealth survives—and thrives—in plain sight. From the violent origins of British colonialism in the Caribbean to the quiet entrenchment of inherited privilege in the English countryside, this is a history that lays bare the enduring legacies of empire—and the families who still profit from them. Through meticulous research and gripping storytelling, Paul Lashmar exposes the deep roots of inequality, the persistence of elite privilege, and the unfinished business of reparations.  Drax of Drax Hall tells the full, unflinching story of the ancestors that pioneered the British sugar industry and created the blueprint for slave-based plantation economies.

In this final event in the BridLit calendar 2025, local journalist Paul Lashmar will be in conversation with Alan Smith, Estates manager of the Church of England about his recently published book Drax of Drax Hall.  The event will be chaired by David Olusoga, who wrote the foreword to the book.

 The conversation between Paul Lashmar and Alan Smith takes place on 12 December at 4.30 pm.

Tickets £12

The tickets can be obtained from the Bridport Tourist Office in South Street, Bridport. Either in person or by phone on 01308 424901