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It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Keith Somerville, Senior Research Fellow at the ICWS, after a very short illness.

There were many facets to Keith’s life and personality, all of them energetic. After finishing his BSc in International Politics at U/Southampton, he spent a year researching Soviet support for African Liberation movements at the University of Aberystwyth. Keith was sent to Malawi by BBC Monitoring, a posting that he loved. He came to know Africa and to appreciate its people and politics, something he never lost. It also drew him into the Anti-Apartheid Movement, which he supported energy and real passion. He returned to Britain, working in the BBC World Service, both on its current affairs programmes and in the newsroom. Here Keith sharpened his writing skills and learned how to share complex information so that it was truly accessible.  

After leaving the BBC, Keith became an academic, combining intellectual rigour and the ability to write well. In addition to his position as SRF at the ICWS from 2013, he was Professor at the Centre for Journalism at the University of Kent where he taught courses on communications, humanitarianism and propaganda. He was also a passionate conservationist as a member of the Durrell Institute of Conservation, a Fellow at the Zoological Society of London, and Research fellow at the Marjan Centre for Conflict and Conservation at King’s College, London.

Keith’s active research interests ranged widely across archaeology, colonisation, migration, communications and media, African history and politics, decolonization, conservation, globalization and international relations. His many books include Angola: Politics, Economics, Society (Marxist Regimes Series, 1986); Africa’s Long Road to Independence. The Many Histories of a Continent (Penguin, 2017 - the book of which he was most proud); Ivory. Power and Poaching in Africa (Hurst 2019); Humans and Lions: Conflict, Conservation and Coexistence (Routledge, 2019); Jackals, Golden Wolves and Honey Badgers: Courage, Cunning and Conflict with Humans (Routledge 2022). His book on human exploitation and conservation of rhinos (Africa's Threatened Rhinos: A History of Exploitation and Conservation) is due to be published in January 2025. On top of this impressive list of publications, he was a frequent contributor to Commonwealth Opinion, and regular member of the ICWS Senior Research Fellows seminar meetings.  (Keith’s interview on the Commonwealth Oral History project can be found here.) He was also a stern editor and frequent book reviewer – praise from Keith was high praise indeed.

Keith loved sport and was an enthusiastic member of the World Service cricket team, the Bushmen. However, his real passion was for rugby, which he continued to play for many years. He was a keen shot, a creative cook, a man of very decided opinions and outspoken trenchant critic of sloppy journalism. I remember very well getting an early morning phone call from Keith two days after the coup against Robert Mugabe in November 2017: “Sue! The BBC is spouting rubbish. Get yourself on air!”  He was also immensely kind, with a great sense of humour and lively sense of the ridiculous, and supremely generous with his time and support for students, colleagues and friends. Our sincere condolences to his family, Liz and Tom.

Keith Somerville’s funeral will be at 2:45pm on 15 October 2024 at the Breakspear Crematorium, Breakspear Road, HA4 7SJ. 

According to his son Tom, 'Dad was not comfortable in suit & tie; smart/casual but vibrant, colourful please. If you can incorporate some or one of red, gold and green (e.g African flag colours), that would be great.'

Sue Onslow
Institute of Commonwealth Studies (2012-2023)
King’s College London