Explorers, Dreamers and Thieves is an exercise in invention that emerges from the complex history of encounter between Europe and the Americas. Following the success of Untold Microcosms – which saw ten Latin American authors write stories inspired by objects from their countries held by the British Museum – the curatorial team at the Museum and at Hay Festival have joined forces again, this time with a slightly different proposal.
Six writers were invited to examine a series of ethnographic documents: a profusion of diaries, letters, drawings, thoughts and transactions, all referring to the acquisition of works for the collection. Using this material as a starting point, they were asked to imagine narratives about the people involved in bringing those pieces to the museum. The journey through these texts is not unlike the one that, in years past, was undertaken by the explorers, dreamers and thieves who serve as an inspiration for this book.