British writer and activist Leah Cowan examines the colonial history, violence, and racism behind the enforcement of borders in the UK.

We learn about borders as a natural part of the world — just as we learn state names and capitals, we told that countries simply have to be divided somehow.

Since 2015, governments in the Global North have started building walls and adopting increasingly violent immigration policies.

While some experience border crossing as a fun and enlightening novelty, others face police brutality, exploitation, and even death.

Leah Cowan is a British writer, editor, and activist who focuses on matters of race, gender, migration, and state control.

In Border Nation, Cowan examines the colonial origins, modern-day violence, and meaning of borders in the UK.