The Zorg

A WATERSTONES PAPERBACK OF THE YEAR 2026

A horrific tale of the slave trade, destined to become a classicNew York Times

* History Writers Association Non-Fiction Crown Longlist 2026
* PEN Literary Award Finalist 2026
* New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2025
* Time’s 100 Must Read Books of 2025
* The New Yorker 12 Essential Non-Fiction Reads 2025

From the author of New York Times bestselling and Pulitzer Prize Finalist Cobalt Red, discover the shocking true story and riveting account of the 18th century slave ship whose journey from the high seas to the High Court sparked the human rights campaign to end the slave trade. Perfect for fans of David Granns The Wager and The Wide, Wide Sea by Hampton Sides.

In 1781, the Zorg set off from the Netherlands to buy slaves in West Africa to sell in the Caribbean. By the time its journey ended, the Zorg became the first undeniable argument against slavery.

When a series of unpredictable weather events and navigational errors led to the Zorg sailing off course and running low on supplies, the crews solution was to throw more than a hundred slaves overboard in order to save themselves and the most valuable slaves. The ships owners then claimed their loss on insurance.

The insurers refused to pay the claim due to the unusually high mortality rate of the slaves on board, leading to a trial which initially found in favour of the ships owners, with the slaves equated to horses with a compensation value of £30 per slave. Due to the outrage of one man present in court that day who wrote an anonymous letter to the press objecting to the result, a retrial was held.

For the first time, concepts such as human rights and morality entered the discourse on slavery in a courtroom case that boiled down to a simple yet profound question: Were the Africans on board people or cargo?

In this riveting book, bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Siddharth Kara brings the true horror of the Atlantic slave trade to life.

The case catapulted the emerging anti-slavery movement to one of the most consequential moral campaigns that changed the course of history.