Professor Alpa Shah
Professor of Social Anthropology
PhD, MSc, BSc
University Academic Fellow since 2024
My research and writings span many themes including revolutionary insurgency, state and citizenship; democracy, human rights and social justice; global capitalism, inequality and poverty; agrarian change, precarious labour migration and informal economies of care; indigenous politics, conservation and environmental justice; race, caste, class and gender relations. My writings are based on deep immersive field research among the forest dwelling indigenous people of eastern India – Adivasis. I have also conducted research in Nepal and among Dalits, villified as ‘Untouchable’ people. I have a deep interest in ethnography and ethnographic writing.
- Professor of Anthropology, London School of Economics and Political Sciences (2021-2024)
- Reader in Anthropology, London School of Economics (2012-2021)
- Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in Anthropology, Goldsmiths, University of London (2004-2012)
- PhD in Anthropology, London School of Economics (1999-2004)
- MSc in Anthropology, London School of Economics (1997-1998)
- BSc in Geography, University of Cambridge (1994-1997)
- Revolutionary insurgency, state and citizenship
- Democracy, human rights and social justice
- Global capitalism, inequality and poverty
- Agrarian change, precarious labour migration and informal economies of care
- Indigenous politics, conservation and environmental justice
- Race, caste, class and gender relations
- The Incarcerations: BK16 and the Search for Democracy in India. HarperCollins UK and India (2024).
Finalist for the 2024 Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Longlisted for the 2024 Moore Human Rights Prize
Financial Times ‘What to Read in 2024 List’
Guardian ‘One of Five best books on Indian Politics’
- Nightmarch: Among India’s Revolutionary Guerrillas. Chicago: University of Chicago Press; London: Hurst; New Delhi: HarperCollins India (2018).
Winner of the Association for Political and Legal Anthropology Book Prize, 2020
Finalist for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, 2019
Shortlisted for the Victor Turner Prize in Ethnographic Writing, 2019
Finalist for the New India Foundation Book Prize, 2019
Longlisted for the Tata Literature Live Non-fiction Award, 2019
Book of the Year 2018 for the New Statesman, History Workshop, Scroll India and Hong Kong Free Press. Hindu ‘Year in Review Book’ and a Public Anthropology ‘Must Read’
- Ground Down by Growth: Tribe, Caste, Class and Inequality Across India. London: Pluto Press; Delhi: Oxford University Press (co-authored with Jens Lerche, Richard Axelby, Dalel Benbabaali, Brendan Donegan, Jayaseelan Raj and Vikramaditya Thakur) (2018).
2018 Book of the Year for the Indian daily newspaper, the Hindu
- In the Shadows of the State: Indigenous Politics, Environmentalism and Insurgency in Jharkhand, India. Durham (N.C.): Duke University Press. New Delhi: Oxford University Press (2010)
- MacGeorge Fellowship, University of Melbourne (2024-2025)
- ERC Public Engagement with Research Prize 2022
- Convenor of Research Theme on ‘Global Economies of Care’, LSE International Inequalities Institute. (£28,000) (2020-2023)
- Leverhulme Trust Doctoral Scholarships grant of £1million to work on ‘The Challenge of Escalating Inequalities.’ Co-led the witing of the proposal for the LSE inter-departmental bid (2015-2018)
- Principal Investigator. European Research Council. Starting Grant. To work on the ‘Underbelly of the Indian Economic Boom.’ (€ 1.5 million) (2013-2020)
- Principal Investigator. Economic and Social Research Council UK. To work on ‘An Ethnographic Investigation into the Persistence of Poverty amongst Adivasis and Dalits in India.’ (£1.2 million). (2013-2019)
- British Academy UK- South Asia Visiting Fellowship Scheme. UK Host to Visiting Fellow, Saroj Giri, Political Science, University of Delhi. (£7,500) (2011-2012)
- Principal Investigator British Academy UK-South Asia Partnership Grant for ‘Inequality and Affirmative Action in South Asia: Current Experiences and Future Agendas in India and Nepal.’ (£30,000) (2009-2012)
- Principal Investigator. Economic and Social Research Council Research Fellowship for ‘State, Society, Revolution: Everyday lives and livelihoods of marginalised people in Jharkhand, India.’ (£545,471) (2009-2011)
- Principal Investigator. British Academy Small Research Grant for ‘Maoism in India and Nepal: Anthropological Comparisons.’ (£7,484) (2007).
- Wenner Gren Richard Carley Hunt Memorial Fellowship for the writing of ‘In the Shadows of the State: Indigenous Politics in Jharkhand, India.’ (Award of $32,421) (2006).