In this sharp-tongued essay, Paul Gilroy denounces the neo-imperialist pathology of policies implemented in Western countries, sclerotic because of debates on immigration, and in return proposes a model of multicultural society. From the creation of the concept of "race" to the formation of colonial empires, the British sociologist raises some of the major questions of our time, and aims to bring out a real alternative to the watered-down narratives of our colonial past. By choosing to highlight the conviviality and undisciplined multiculturalism of the center of large metropolises, Paul Gilroy defends an inclusive cosmopolitan vision and pleads for the advent of a society that refuses to give in to the discourses of fear and violence.

By examining the invention of hierarchical categories based on the notion of race, and its terrible consequences, he demonstrates how the writings of thinkers such as Frantz Fanon, WEB Du Bois or George Orwell can still advance reflections on nationalism, postcolonialism and racial questions. Postcolonial Melancholy echoes today's postcolonial struggles, in search of demanding critical thinking.