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# A Story of Freedom and Accomplishment
It’s 1746 and Georgian London is not a safe place for a young Black man. Charles Ignatius Sancho must dodge slave catchers and worse, and his main ally―a kindly duke who taught him to write―is dying. Sancho is desperate and utterly alone. So how does the same Charles Ignatius Sancho meet the king, write and play highly acclaimed music, become the first Black person to vote in Britain, and lead the fight to end slavery?
“I had little right to live, born on a slave ship where my parents both died. But I survived, and indeed, you might say I did more.”
The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho is a lush and immersive tale of adventure, artistry, romance, and freedom that begins on a slave ship in the Atlantic and ends at the very center of London life. Based on a true story, Joseph channels the writing style of the day and draws on the real-life Sancho’s diaries to give voice to his interior life.
Attend the Author Interview & Book Signing
Catch the interview between Paterson Joseph and interviewer Kelsi Hasden from 7 to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 14 at Southeast Regional Library. A book signing will follow with books available for sale on site from Café Resistance Bookstore.
Paterson Joseph is a beloved British actor and writer. Recently seen on Vigil, Noughts + Crosses and Boat Story, he has also starred in The Leftovers and Law & Order UK and he also plays Arthur Slugworth in the Wonka movie. He has won the Royal Society of Literature’s Christopher Bland prize and the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Historical Crown 2023 award. The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho is his debut novel.
Did you know that all of our Lit Chat authors' books count toward your Jax Stacks Reading Challenge completion? Find out what authors we're hosting this month and join in on the fun!
Interviewer Kelsi Hasden has worn many hats in her career; whether she’s taught composition courses at local colleges or worked as a technical writer or content designer, her primary focus has always been user experience. Currently, Kelsi is researching older African American neighborhoods and crafting their historic narratives to help advocate for inclusive revitalization. She’s written and edited articles for MetroJacksonville.com and its current version, the Jaxson. She loves reading, petting cats, and, as a true geriatric millennial, embroidery.
For Fans of Paterson Joseph:
- If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
- Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
- The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
- New Black Playwrights, and Anthology by William Couch
- In Their Own Words : Contemporary American Playwrights by David Sayran
- To Be Young, Gifted, and Black : Lorraine Hansberry in Her Own Words by Robert Nemiroff
- The Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse
- Shadowplay : The Hidden Beliefs and Coded Politics of William Shakespeare by Clare Asquith
- William Shakespeare : Playwright and Poet by Pamela Hill Nettleton
- The Armor of Light by Ken Follett
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Kelly Mustian is the USA Today bestselling author of The Girls in the Stilt House and The River Knows Your Name. She is the recipient of the Mississippi Library Association’s 2023 Author Award for Fiction, and The Girls in the Stilt House was shortlisted for the 2022 Crook’s Corner Book Prize for best debut novel set in the American South. She will be in conversation with local interviewer Jane Wood from 1 to 2 p.m. on Monday, April 7, at the Beaches Branch Library. Audience Q&A and a book signing will follow the interview.
Note: This program is made possible by the support of the Friends of the Beaches Branch Library.
Catch Lit Chat Interviews you might have missed (or want to revisit) by checking out this YouTube playlist. You can also subscribe to our Completely Booked podcast (using the podcasting app of your choice) for audio-only replays of our Lit Chat Interviews.
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