D'Aguiar, Fred *1960

Feeding the Ghosts, 1997 - Summary

Returning from Africa, the slave ship The Zong falls prey to disease. Its Captain orders his crew to throw the sick slaves overboard. But one slave survives drowning and climbs back on-board the ship, hiding in the food store. For the remainder of the voyage she tries to rouse the slaves to rebel against the killings, stirring up unease among the crew, a voice of conscience they are unable to stifle. On reaching London the Captain confidently lodges his insurance claim for his loses, but his claim is challenged and the voice of the slave who returned from the dead is heard again. Impac, Dublin