Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was born in India but abandoned by his parents in an English foster home when he was 6, a place he was later to call the House of Desolation.

Kipling went on to become a noted writer, winning the Nobel prize in Literature in 1907.

However, his imperialist & racist views have made him a controversial figure in post-empire times.

William Dalrymple & Andrew Lycett discuss Kipling’s childhood in 312. Rudyard Kipling: Son of Empire (Part 1) and what inspired him to write his most famous works in 313. Rudyard Kipling: Escaping India & Writing The Jungle Book (Part 2).