Analysing the “Yucky Side of Life”

John Crace interviews Joanna Bourke, lecturer, historian and author of numerous academic books including the controversial An Intimate History of Killing and her most recent publication, Fear: A Cultural History. “Historians tend to come in two sizes: the micro-specialists and those who prefer a broader canvas. Joanna Bourke leaves you in no doubt where her sympathies lie. ‘I’m not one for writing the same book over and over again,’ she says breezily. ‘Others can correct any mistakes I’ve made. Life’s too short for second editions.'” Bourke was born to NZ missionary parents, raised in the Soloman Islands and Haiti, and studied at Auckland University before moving to England.