Charles Ignatius Sancho was an 18th-century composer and campaigner, and one of Britain’s first recorded Black voters. Actor and playwright Paterson Joseph’s debut novel charts the life of this fascinating man through fictionalised diary entries, letters and commentary. It’s a high-stakes approach, but the voice of the diary sounds just like Sancho in his real letters – pitch-perfect not only for the period, but also for the man.
The story takes us right from Sancho’s birth to his middle age. He begins his life on a slave ship but is soon moved to London, where he’s given to “the Sisters” who lumber him with his odd name. He finds favour with a duke, learns to read and perform Shakespeare, runs away, suffers, loves, thrives and finally manages to accrue enough property to vote. The action is compelling, but it’s the way Joseph tells it that makes this book so enjoyable.
