“[Imperialism] allowed people to break away from shackling old traditions and heritages. It introduced the world to fresh ideas and new opportunities. These are the contributions that matter for the redemption and the unity of us all.”

In 2016, at age ninety, the Welsh historian and essayist Jan Morris began keeping a ­diary for the first time. She composed an entry a day ­(occasionally two) for 188 days, ruminating on ­history, current affairs, art, and literature alongside matters of old age, love, fellowship, and creature comforts. The following is a selection.