Wolfson History Prize Winner Announced

Gripping history of a Haitian Revolutionary Leader takes the top award and wins £40,000 prize

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Sudhir Hazareesingh’s gripping history of the life and revolutionary leadership of Toussaint Louverture has won this year’s Wolfson History Prize in the award’s 49th year.

Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture, published by Allen Lane provides an intimate study of the life of a revolutionary leader whose experiences speak to many of the debates about history and heritage currently taking place. The impeccably researched book digs into previously untapped archives for insight into the life of a inspirational figure in the history of slavery and colonialism.

The chair of the Wolfson History Prize Judging Panel, David Cannadine, says; “Black Spartacus vividly re-creates the extraordinary career of the leader and hero of the Haitian Revolution, which reverberated far beyond that island and far beyond the Caribbean. This is an erudite and elegant biography with a message that resonates strongly in our own time, and we extend our warmest congratulations to Sudhir Hazareesingh.”

We were also delighted to speak with Sudhir Hazareesingh about his book and the life of Toussaint Louverture recently, which you can read in All About History 105, on sale 17 June 2021.

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