Are all national cultures composites? In this interview, the definition of British culture is up for debate. One interviewee sees cultural diversity as something to be celebrated—a defining strength of the UK today. The other takes a different view: that drawing from other countries’ cultures isn’t the same as having a culture of your own. It raised a broader question: in places shaped by migration, movement and exchange—what counts as “authentic”? Who decides? And how do societies adapt when th