Three authors with recent books on Africa discuss the future of the continent and answer questions from the audience under the watchful eye of the director of the Oxford Martin School, Professor Ian Goldin. Martin Meredith, Jonny Steinberg and Tom Burgis will discuss what the future holds for African states. How can the continent deal with failing government and corruption and with war and a constant flow of refugees? How far is Africa a victim of its past, and is there a new financial colonialism holding it back? What can the rest of the world do to help Africa to grow and prosper in peace?

Meredith is a journalist, biographer and historian who has written extensively about Africa and its history. His recent book is The Fortunes of Africa: A 5,000-year History of Wealth, Greed and Endeavour. He is also author of Diamonds, Gold and War, The State of Africa, Mugabe, Coming to Terms and Mandela: A Biography.

Steinberg was born and brought up in South Africa and is a lecturer in African studies and criminology at the University of Oxford. He is author of Midlands and The Number, both winners of South Africa’s premier non-fiction prize, the Sunday Times Alan Paton Prize. His latest book, A Man of Good Hope, tells the incredible story of one man who lost everything in the Somali civil war but who showed astonishing character to make his way in the world.

Burgis is a journalist for the Financial Times and former west Africa correspondent. He is author of The Looting Machine, How the Oil and Mining Business Has Cursed Africa, in which he delves deep below the surface to show how Africa is exploited by the multinationals.

This panel event is one of a series of roundtable talks and audience question time hosted by the Oxford Martin School.

FT Weekend review of The Looting Machine.