Kevin Bales

Professor of Contemporary Slavery, University of Nottingham

Going undercover to meet slaves and slaveholders for his book Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy, Kevin Bales exposed how modern slavery penetrates the global economy and flows into the things we buy. Disposable People was named by the Association of British Universities as one of “100 World-Changing Discoveries” and published in twelve other languages. In 2001 he co-founded the NGO Free the Slaves which has liberated thousands of slaves worldwide. Bales is the Professor of Contemporary Slavery at the University of Nottingham; and Lead Author of the WalkFree Global Slavery Index.  Bales has advised the US, British, Irish, Norwegian, and Nepali governments as well as the European Parliament on trafficking and slavery policy. His book Ending Slavery: How We Free Today’s Slaves, won the Grawemeyer Prize (2007). His newest book, Blood and Earth: Modern Slavery, Ecocide, and the Secret to Saving the World was published in January 2016.