Scripting Empire: Broadcasting, the BBC, and the Black Atlantic, James Procter (2024).

The article reviews *Scripting Empire: Broadcasting, the BBC, and the Black Atlantic* by James Procter, which examines the role of BBC broadcasting in shaping decolonial expression among Black Atlantic writers during the 1940s and 1950s. Procter highlights the significance of the BBC's Caribbean and West African services as platforms for Black writers to navigate and innovate within the "short space" of radio broadcasting, journalism, and fiction, emphasizing collaborative production processes and the movement of writers across diverse program formats. The book also explores the BBC's cautious approach to racial tensions in postwar Britain and culminates in an analysis of C. L. R. James's work as emblematic of broadcasting's potential for decolonial cultural production. While the study offers rich archival insights, it has been noted to occasionally oversimplify media forms and underengage with media studies frameworks, yet remains a valuable resource for scholars of postcolonial literature and broadcasting history.