Episode 2
Kidnapped and far from home, Solomon Northup is sent to be sold as a slave Virginia.
Extracts from the powerful memoir which inspired Steve McQueen's Oscar nominated film of the same title.
Solomon Northup was a free man who worked as a carpenter in the state of New York. In 1841, two circus promoters offered him a high-paying job and he travelled south with them to Washington D.C. Soon after arriving in the capital, he was drugged, beaten and sold into slavery. Threatened with murder should he ever reveal what had happened, he spent the next twelve years of his life in captivity in Louisiana.
After his rescue, Northup was reunited with his family and went on to publish this eloquent and important memoir. It was an immediate bestseller.
Reader: Rhashan Stone
Abridger: Robin Brooks
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron.
Last on
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Reader | Rhashan Stone |
| Producer | Kirsteen Cameron |
| Abridger | Robin Brooks |
| Author | Solomon Northup |
Broadcasts
Tue 25 Feb 201409:45BBC Radio 4 FM- Wed 26 Feb 201400:30BBC Radio 4
- Tue 12 Feb 201914:45BBC Radio 4 Extra
- Wed 13 Feb 201902:45BBC Radio 4 Extra
Listen to more Audio Books
Including My Sister The Serial Killer, Queenie, The Flatshare and more.
Opening Lines
John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.
Sample our books and authors Clip Collection
Interviews, previews and reviews
Subscribe to the Short stories podcast
Featuring the best stories from the UK's finest writers
How many of these 100 Novels have you read?
After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary selection.
Finding Your Story
Ten remarkable novels about identity: Which one will help you discover yourself?
BBC Arts: Books
Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world.
