Paolo Heywood

I am Associate Professor of Social Anthropology at Durham University, where I study how politics and culture shape each other in unexpected ways. Previously a Fellow at Cambridge University, my research has taken me from the birthplace of fascism in Italy to contemporary debates about free speech and cultural identity.

I am the author of several books, including Burying Mussolini: Ordinary Life in the Shadows of Fascism (Cornell University Press, 2024), which explores how Italians today grapple with their fascist past. My work examines the cultural battles that define our political moment—from nationalism and populism to questions of identity and belonging that resonate beyond the academy.

My writing has appeared in leading journals including Current Anthropology, American Anthropologist, Cultural Anthropology, and the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. I’ve also written for or been interviewed by popular outlets like The Conversation, The Daily Beast, ABC, and France 24.