Lawrence Hill is one of Canada’s most respected and dynamic contemporary authors. His novels and non-fiction works have been published with critical acclaim, capturing the interest of his readers.
His sixth book, The Book of Negroes, is a novel published by HarperCollins Canada in January 2007. Prior to this book, Hill wrote books of various genres, such as BlackBerry and Sweet Juice, which are books about being black and white in Canada. The Deserters Tale - A story of an ordinary soldier who walked away from the war in Iraq. Some Great Thing - A story about a reporter covering a full-scale riot and police cover-up who discovers the principles that have always eluded him. Any Known Blood - Follows an African American man on a journey to discover himself and those who came before him five generations before.
Hill, who is Biracial, fled the United States along with his parents in hopes of escaping the enduring racism of their native country. Hill grew up in the suburbs of Don Mills, Ontario, in the 1960s and was greatly influenced by his parents' work in the human rights movement.
Formerly a reporter with The Globe and Mail and parliamentary correspondent for The Winnipeg Free Press, Hill has lived and worked across Canada. He speaks French and Spanish and has also resided in Baltimore, Spain and France. Hill’s love of Africa was ignited when he volunteered with Canadian Crossroads International. Canadian Crossroads International is an international development organization that brings individuals, organizations and communities in Canada and developing countries into partnerships to reduce poverty, fight AIDS and promote the rights of women globally. Hill volunteered from the 1970s to the 1980s and travelled to Niger, Cameroon and Mali, where he spent time living in the local villages and interacting with the natives. On March 22, 2007, at the Canadian Cross Roads Benefit, which took place at the Gladstone Hotel, Hill gave back by reading excerpts from his latest book, The Book of Negroes. The Book of Negroes describes the story of a Malian woman, Aminata Diallo, who is sold into slavery in the late 1700s and endures life on the plantation of the southern US before escaping to Nova Scotia, and ultimately finding her way back to Africa.
Along with his eloquent and passionate readings, Hill managed time for an interview with the host of CBC’s Radio One Here and Now, Matt Galloway. During the interview, Hill described how Canada was not always perceived as the “promised land.” He explains that the title of his book created some controversy; he quotes: “Some people are quite upset because I used the term Negroes in the title, but in essence, they haven’t given me a chance to explain that the title takes it manifest from a Military Leger. But as a whole, the reception is warm. For the most part, people want to learn.” Hill went on to describe his work in Africa, when his work began, and his love for the African people: “I was 14 years old, a product of a biracial environment, and I thought I would find my long lost Africans, and a lot of people such as myself with African descent think that way. You want to be welcomed as one of the Africans, but it didn’t quite work that way. I learned a lot about myself personally. The experience allowed me to sink into a quieter sense of self-confidence, which allowed me to not worry about being accepted, that I would be just fine being myself.”
Hill went on to describe the vast difference between the rich and poor and why this isn’t just working for the government: “ I saw an unbelievable wealth side by side with deprivation and poverty, which one is seeing increasingly over the last couple of years in North America. I was also stunned by how hard women work; I found that fascinating. It’s not just the government’s work; it’s all of our work. If you haven’t been to Africa, it’s hard to understand the humanity, the joy of life, and the vibrancy of the people. We usually see the negative side of things that might prevent us from seeing the quality of life and the rhythm of life. See, in a way, life like that can be much better than the standard life you might live in Canada.”
The Montreal Gazzette says that The Book of Negroes is “Not just a good book but a great one worthy of every honor it is sure to receive”. The Globe and Mail call the novel a “masterpiece,” while the Hamilton Spectator raves: “The Book of Negroes is an evocative tome and among the best in our fiction.”
Overall The Book of Negroes takes you to a place that explores the history of slavery in depth and describes the life of a slave girl into a woman from her capture to her emancipation back to Africa. The Book of Negroes lets you see a human being behind the shackles and chains of a slave.
