Olaudah Equiano

El autor nació en 1745 en una aldea ibo de la actual Nigeria. Fue secuestrado a los once años y, tras pasar por sucesivos amos africanos, fue vendido a unos traficantes blancos que le embarcaron en un buque esclavista hasta la isla de Barbados; de ahi paso a Virginia, donde fue comprado por un teniente de la armada britanica con quien navego varios años. Despues vendran un capitan y un empresario cuaquero, a quien conprara su libertad.

A seminal work that provides an important window into the experience of one individual in the context of the transatlantic slave trade. Situating his life within this broader narrative, Equiano carefully chronicles his journey from enslavement to emancipation and beyond. His account serves as a powerful reminder of the brutality and dehumanization inherent in individuals lives under the transatlantic slave trade.

Sometimes true life spins more shocking stories than the minds of writers. That is the case with The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano.The understated title masks an autobiography where truth trumps fiction, featuring kidnapping, death, slavery, jail, transportation, rape, Christian faith and much more.It is also one of the most important books of its time, the late 18th century. For its publication told the truth about the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and sowed the seeds for the abolition movement that eventually stopped it.The scandal of slavery that Equiano helped get into the publics consciousness has been featured in a host of films, including 12 Years a Slave, directed by Steve McQueen and based on a novel by Solomon Northup.

Olaudah Equiano, known for most of his life as Gustavus Vassa, was a writer and abolitionist from, according to his memoir, the Eboe region of the Kingdom of Benin."The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano" is Olaudah Equianos autobiography. The book, which was published in 1789, describes Equianos life in slavery, beginning with his kidnapping by slave traders at age eleven. Equiano travelled extensively with his master, the captain of a British trading vessel, and was allowed to own minor trade exchanges. In 1766, he used his savings to purchase his freedom. He obtained a job working for a scientist in England, while also travelling as an abolitionist and public speaker. His autobiography is noted for its combination of literary forms--epistolary form, travel narrative, slave narrative, and religious meditation.

Materias: Biografías Editorial: Universidad de León

"The Life of Olaudah Equiano" is one of the earliest-known examples of published writing by an African writer and the first influential slave narrative of what became a large literary genre. Equianos autobiography helped in the creation of the Slave Trade Act 1807 which ended the African slave trade for Britain and its colonies. Olaudah Equiano (c. 1745 1797), known in his lifetime as Gustavus Vassa was a freed slave of Igbo extraction from the eastern part of present-day Nigeria, who supported the British movement to end the slave trade.

In an adventurous and extraordinary life, Equiano criss-crossed the Atlantic world, from West Africa to the Caribbean to the USA to Britain, either as a slave or fighting with the Royal Navy. His account of his life is not only one of the great documents of the abolition movement, but also a startling, moving story of danger and betrayal.

One of the earliest known published works written by an African author, The Interesting Narrative was a groundbreaking memoir that helped pave the way for the abolition of slavery. In it, Equiano describes his early life in Africa, his abduction and gruelling journey across the world on a slave ship and the years he spent in servitude, fighting in others wars and helping to enrich those who would wish him in fetters for the rest of his life.Published in London once Equiano had secured his freedom, the runaway success of the book led to his financial independence, and he toured England, Scotland and Ireland lecturing on the horrors he lived through, and he dedicated his life to advocating for the abolition of slavery. Forgotten until the 1960s, The Interesting Narrative has again shot to fame, and is now considered the most detailed account of a slaves life, exposing the trials of the long road to freedom.

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African, first published in 1789, is the autobiography of Olaudah Equiano. The book describes Equianos time spent in slavery, and documents his attempts at becoming an independent man through his study of the Bible, and his eventual success in gaining his own freedom and in business thereafter.

I believe it is difficult for those who publish their own memoirs to escape the imputation of vanity; nor is this the only disadvantage under which they labour: it is also their misfortune, that what is uncommon is rarely, if ever, believed, and what is obvious we are apt to turn from with disgust, and to charge the writer with impertinence. People generally think those memoirs only worthy to be read or remembered which abound in great or striking events, those, in short, which in a high degree excite either admiration or pity: all others they consign to contempt and oblivion. It is therefore, I confess, not a little hazardous in a private and obscure individual, and a stranger too, thus to solicit the indulgent attention of the public; especially when I own I offer here the history of neither a saint, a hero, nor a tyrant. I believe there are few events in my life, which have not happened to many: it is true the incidents of it are numerous; and, did I consider myself an European, I might say my sufferings were great: but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I regard myself as a particular favourite of Heaven, and acknowledge the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life.

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African, is the autobiography of Olaudah Equiano and argued to be a variety of styles, such as a slavery narrative, travel narrative, and spiritual narrative. The book describes Equianos time spent in enslavement, and documents his attempts at becoming an independent man through his study of the Bible, and his eventual success in gaining his own freedom and in business thereafter.

The autobiography of a man kidnapped into slavery who fought for his freedom and became a key figure in the abolitionist movement. A powerful and vivid historical account.

Olaudah Equiano was one of the most prominent people of African heritage involved in the British debate for the abolition of the slave trade. He wrote an autobiography that depicted the horrors of slavery and helped influence British lawmakers to abolish the slave trade through the Slave Trade Act of 1807. This is his story. "I hope the reader will not think I have trespassed on his patience in introducing myself to him with some account of the manners and customs of my country. They had been implanted in me with great care, and made an impression on my mind, which time could not erase, and which all the adversity and variety of fortune I have since experienced served only to rivet and record; for, whether the love of ones country be real or imaginary, or a lesson of reason, or an instinct of nature, I still look back with pleasure on the first scenes of my life, though that pleasure has been for the most part mingled with sorrow." -Olaudah Equiano

Cut iron with iron,What makes iron valuable,Big kuku tree and big silk-cotton tree,Fari and Kaunju -Told and retold since the fourteenth century, this West African epic chronicles the story of the mighty warrior who saves his people and founds an empire. One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.

In an adventurous and extraordinary life, Equiano (c.1745-c.1797) criss-crossed the Atlantic world, from West Africa to the Caribbean to the USA to Britain, either as a slave or fighting with the Royal Navy. His account of his life is not only one of the great documents of the abolition movement, but also a startling, moving story of danger and betrayal.Great Journeys allows readers to travel both around the planet and back through the centuries but also back into ideas and worlds frightening, ruthless and cruel in different ways from our own. Few reading experiences can begin to match that of engaging with writers who saw astounding things: Great civilisations, walls of ice, violent and implacable jungles, deserts and mountains, multitudes of birds and flowers new to science. Reading these books is to see the world afresh, to rediscover a time when many cultures were quite strange to each other, where legends and stories were treated as facts and in which so much was still to be discovered.

WITH A FOREWORD BY DAVID OLUSOGAThis is the extraordinary story of Olaudah Equiano: Child slave. Soldier. Free man. Traveller. Abolitionist. Celebrity. Kidnapped as a child into slavery, Equiano spent the rest of his life fighting for his freedom. After years of slavery, working on ships that carried him across empire and into battle during the Seven Years War, he eventually managed to purchase his own freedom, and went on to become a leading figure in the early abolition movement.Published to coincide with the first attempt to abolish the slave trade in 1789, Equianos remarkable autobiography became a sensation and turned its author into the most famous Black person in Georgian Britain. As vivid and powerful today as it was in 1789, Equianos story is the most significant autobiographical account of slavery to emerge from Britains centuries as a slave trading power. In this JM Classics edition, leading historian David Olusogas introduction sets Equianos book in its historical context, helping us to understand the man himself.

Olaudah Equianos The Incredible Life of Olaudah Equiano, A British Ex-Slave is a captivating autobiography that details his journey from being captured in Africa and sold into slavery at a young age to eventually buying his freedom and becoming a prominent abolitionist in 18th-century England. Equianos narrative is characterized by its vivid descriptions of the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade and his unwavering determination to fight for freedom and equality. His literary style combines personal anecdotes with impassioned pleas for social justice, making it a significant work in the literary canon of slave narratives. Equianos narrative also provides valuable insights into the complexities of identity, citizenship, and human rights in the context of colonialism and imperialism. Through his compelling storytelling, Equiano sheds light on the harsh realities of slavery while also celebrating the resilience and agency of enslaved individuals. Readers interested in the history of slavery, African diaspora studies, and human rights will find Equianos autobiography both enlightening and inspiring.In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience:- A succinct Introduction situates the works timeless appeal and themes.- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the eras events and influences that shaped the writing.- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the authors life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the works messages, connecting them to modern life.- Handpicked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.