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Sign up todayThe Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho
A Novel
Narrator
Paterson Joseph
This audiobook uses AI narration.
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Length
10 hours 50 minutes
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“ If I had minor complaints about the chosen structure for this story, I had none whatsoever about the outstanding performance by the author, or about the incredible amount of historical research put into bringing the story to life. Sancho was one of the most vibrant narrators I've encountered, no less because of his shortcomings than his heroism. I also loved the author interview at the end, which added so much context and richness to the experience. I can't wait for more from Paterson Joseph! ”
— Maren • Nook & Cranny Books
This program is read by the author, who also plays the lead role of Sancho in his play, Sancho: An Act of Remembrance.
"To be able to speak these intimate words into a listener’s ears is this writer-performer’s dream. I have always loved the spoken word, as it strikes me as the purest form of performance. In public storytelling terms, it is perfection. From my lips to your ears—to your mind—to a personal, unforgettable picture formed as a memory. Whilst my absolute favorite is the written word for the conveying of story, the next best has to be the audiobook." —Paterson Joseph, author, The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho
It’s finally time for Charles Ignatius Sancho to tell his story, one that begins on a slave ship in the Atlantic and ends at the very center of London life. . . . A lush and immersive tale of adventure, artistry, romance, and freedom set in eighteenth-century England and based on a true story
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? Through every moment of this rich, exuberant tale, Sancho forges ahead to see how much he can achieve in one short life: “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.”
A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.
Paterson Joseph is a beloved British actor and writer. Recently seen on Vigil, Naughts + Crosses and Boat Story, he has also starred in Peep Show and Law & Order UK and he plays Arthur Slugworth in the Wonka movie. The Secret Diaries of Ignatius Sancho is his debut novel.
Paterson Joseph is a beloved British actor and writer. Recently seen on Vigil, Naughts + Crosses and Boat Story, he has also starred in Peep Show and Law & Order UK and he plays Arthur Slugworth in the Wonka movie. The Secret Diaries of Ignatius Sancho is his debut novel.
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Reviews
“It’s a tough task for a writer to set themselves, but the care and research shine through in every chapter. This is a tragicomedy of the first order, and not to be missed.“
—The Guardian
“Joseph channels the writing style of the day and draws on the real-life Sancho’s diaries to give voice to his hero’s rich interior life. Readers shouldn’t miss this exhilarating and rewarding account of a man living at the cusp of world change.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Paterson Joseph’s Sancho is a joy to read as much for the riveting and full portrait of a historical figure’s interior life as for the page-turning tale. Joseph navigates this wonderfully entertaining story with intelligence and verve. The real Sancho composed a life of music and service; Joseph renders his life as art.”
—Brendan Slocumb, author of The Violin Conspiracy and Symphony of Secrets
“Paterson Joseph's The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho is a needed perspective of historical Black excellence on English soil. Witty and insightful, the novel is a critical perspective of what it means to want more and to become a master of one's destiny. Joseph gives life to the times, the politics, the friendships, and all aspects of a fully realized man, Ignatius Sancho. Crafted with care, respect, and the resolve to edu-tainment, Paterson Joseph does not disappoint in penning the story of a dignified man whose ascendency from enslaved to a wholly free British man needs to be known.”
—Vanessa Riley, award-winning author of Island Queen and Queen of Exiles
“An absolutely thrilling, throat-catching wonder of a historical novel. In The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho, Paterson has given us a character for the ages. It’s hard to overpraise this achievement. You might read it for its evocation of an age or for its depiction of the cultures, attitudes, and race all colliding in ‘Enlightenment’ England, but whatever you bring to the book, the book will bring to you adventure, romance, and the full flowering of a magnificent literary hero, all told in wonderful prose and with dazzling energy and brilliant panache. Never woke, but always awake. Hugely recommended.”
—Stephen Fry, actor, comedian, director, and writer
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