PHILLIS WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN AUTHOR OF A BOOK OF POETRY. KIDNAPPED AT THE AGE OF 8 IN WEST AFRICA, PHILLIS WAS TAKEN TO NORTH AMERICA AND SOLD IN BOSTON TO THE WHEATLEY FAMILY WHO TAUGHT HER TO READ AND WRITE, ENCOURAGING HER POETRY WHEN THEY SAW HER TALENT. ON A 1773 TRIP TO LONDON WITH HER MASTER’S SON, SEEKING PUBLICATION OF HER WORK, SHE WAS AIDED IN MEETING PROMINENT PEOPLE INCLUDING GRANVILLE SHARP.
THE LONDON PUBLICATION OF HER POEMS ONVARIOUSSUBJECTS, RELIGIOUS AND MORAL ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1773, BROUGHT HER FAME BOTH IN ENGLAND AND THE AMERICAN COLONIES. GEORGE WASHINGTON PRAISED HER WORK AND A FEW YEARS LATER, AFRICAN-AMERICAN WRITER JUPITER HAMMON ADDRESSED ONE OF HIS OWN POEMS TO HER.
JOIN US ON THE 247th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PUBLICATION OF HER BOOK.
TUESDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2020 from 7pm to 8.30pm
CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE:
EMERITUS PROFESSOR VINCENT CARRETTA (University of Maryland, USA)
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