Benjamin Lay (1682-1759) was a Quaker abolitionist (and dwarf) and one of the first people to demand the immediate emancipation of enslaved people worldwide. Scorned in his own day and since for his radicalism, he was until recently almost completely unknown among historians and the general public. Becoming Benjamin Lay, directed by Tony Buba, asks, what can Lay’s life tell us about living with courage and conviction in dark times?
We are delighted to have historian and writer Marcus Rediker presenting this film. Over the past nine years, Marcus Rediker has produced this film and four books about Benjamin Lay: a scholarly biography, a graphic novel, a play, and a children’s book. He is determined to bring the man back to public memory.
This event was organised by Bristol Quakers in collaboration with Verso books and BRHG.
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