Olaudah Equiano and the British Abolitionist Movement

Olaudah Equiano's autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano was one of the very first slave narratives that spawned a popular literary genre. However, while relatively famous in the 18th century, his legacy was largely forgotten in the UK until the 1960s when there was a resurgence of interest in his life. How could such a prominent figure be all but forgotten while their contribution to the abolition movement be supplanted by his white contemporaries such as William Wilberforce and Granville Sharp?To find out more Dr Fern Riddell speaks to co-founder of The Windrush Foundation and The Equiano Society Arthur Torrington CBE and historian, author and broadcaster Professor Gretchen Gerzina.Sky HISTORY's Not What You Thought You Knew is presented by Dr Fern Riddell, produced by Kim Sergeant, Peter Ross, research by Mary Nzeh, and series produced by Sam Pearson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Think you know your history? Think again.From the stories of the former slave that taught Charles Darwin to the first female playwright who was a spy for the English King... Historian, author and broadcaster Dr Fern Riddell is exploring some little-known characters from history to reveal not just their incredible stories, but also why they're so important for our view of what the past looked like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.