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The British Council are celebrating 200 years of British-Bahraini relations by running a competition called #200stories.  Their aim is ‘to showcase the way that people in Bahrain and the UK have engaged, inspired and collaborated with each other in spheres such as education, culture and science’. As the competition will most likely depict a halcyon narrative of the relationship, the purpose of this site is to educate people more fully through critical perspectives. Written by academics, activists, residents, and those too worried about submitting their stories to the BC, this site is a détournement that reveals the complex colonial relationship and legacy of post colonialism. Check out ‘The Stories’ or ‘The Special Friendship’ tabs to read contributions, articles, and blogs on aspects of the relationship. Crucially we want to hear your stories too.  Get in touch!

“Paid out the men. Really they are not such a bad looking crowd, I believe only three or four of them were affected but Daly wants them to go bag  &  baggage, yet I’m sure that wont be sanctioned. Arrested another of the men who I really believe knew all about it, but though we used methods of a mild Spanish Inquisition we could get nothing out of him. I felt sorry for the boy…”

Charles Belgrave – 1926

“He drank from a water cooler designated for British people only. Following this transgression, he was promptly chased by a British guy from management,who also deployed security guards to chase after the errant water thief.”

Anon Bahraini – 2016