Lit Chat Interview with British Actor and Debut Author Paterson Joseph

Completely Booked - Official Podcast of the Jacksonville Public Library

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

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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