Aphra Behn


Aphra Behn wrote a fascinating book about slavery in Surinam based loosely on the time she lived in the colony where her father had held a government post from 1658 to 1663. The book is Oroonoko, or the Royal Slave.

It is thought that she did not arrive in the colony until late in 1663 when she apparently arrived with her mother and siblings. The English colony was being administered by deputy governor, William Byam. She stayed on a plantation owned by Sir Robert Harley and became involved in the political squabbles of the colony.

She is one of the first female authors in English literature. You can read a review of her books here

Image courtesy of St Hilda's College, University of Oxford


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by Stephen Luscombe