I returned to my ship from the thought-provoking dinner, disturbed by my ignorance about a trade that had played such a pivotal role in British economic history. I had been raised and educated here. But what was evident that evening was that all those around the table also shared my rankling ignorance about the slave trade. When the subject of Abolition was raised, I could feel proud spirits rising around me.
The voice of alarm in the back of my mind said it was my own fault. There and then I decided I would change that. I would find out everything I could about the slave trade. I would begin by rejecting the little I had been taught. In years to come I hoped to write a novel based on my research…
Continue Reading →