Sacred hunger is a historical novel by barry unsworth first published in 1992. It is the spring of 1767, and to avenge his fathers death, erasmus kemp has had the rebellious sailors of his fathers ship, including sullivan, brought back to london to stand trial on. Barry unsworth was born in 1930 in a mining village in durham. The writing is lovely and the philosophy is complicated and thought provoking. Barry unsworth 19302012, who won the booker prize for sacred hunger, was a booker prize finalist for morality play and was longlisted for the. Stone virgin, 1986about the british slave trade in the mid18th century and a shipboard mutiny from which arose a community based on racial equality. Barry unsworth was born in 1930 in a mining village in durham, and he attended stocktonontees grammar school and manchester university, b. Sacred hunger sacred hunger, book 1 by barry unsworth. Introduction i should like to thank the british council for the grant of a sixmonth visiting scholarship to sweden and the staffs of the english department and library of lund university, where the background. Sacred hunger by barry unsworth and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Barry unsworth audio books, best sellers, author bio.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read sacred hunger. Pdf sacred hunger book by barry unsworth free download. Barry unsworth was born in 1930 and grew up in a mining town in northeast england. Barry unsworths parable of capitalism aboard a slave ship is told with vigour and conviction published. It shared the booker prize that year with michael ondaatjes the english patient one of my alltime favourite booker winners about the author. Spine creases, wear to binding and pages from reading. The quality of mercy opens in the spring of 1767, two years after the events of barry unsworths booker prizewinning sacred hunger 5 out of 5 stars another great unsworth book. He won the booker prize with sacred hunger and was shortlisted for pascalis island and morality play. Unsworth is a new author for me, and this was an excellent book to start with. Barry unsworth frsl was an english writer known for his historical fiction.
Sacred hunger is a stunning and engrossing exploration of power, dom. The story is set in the mid 18th century and centers around the liverpool merchant, a slave ship employed in the triangular trade, a central trade. Possible ex library copy, will have the markings and stickers associated from the library. Filled with the sacred hunger to expand its empire and its profits, england entered fully into the slave trade and spread the trade throughout its colonies. Sacred hunger npr coverage of sacred hunger by barry unsworth. Barry unsworth follows the failing fortunes of william kemp, a merchant pinning his last chance to a slave ship. From 195153, in the british army, royal corps of signals, he served and became second lieutenant. He published 17 novels, and was shortlisted for the booker prize three times, winning once for the 1992 novel sacred hunger. Sacred hunger by barry unsworth the greatest books. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are william kemp, erasmus kemp.
Barry unsworth s parable of capitalism aboard a slave ship is told with vigour and conviction published. In one sense the description is unarguable, since a great deal of his work is set in the past, for example in the late ottoman empire pascalis island, 1980, the rage of the vulture 1982, in the atlantic slave trade sacred hunger, 1992, in medieval england morality play, 1995, in ancient troy the songs of the kings, 2002. In this booker prizewinning work, barry unsworth follows the failing fortunes of william kemp, a merchant pinning his last chanc sacred hunger is a stunning and engrossing. The liverpool merchant sets off to exchange manufactured goods for slaves in west africa, who can in turn be traded in the west indies for commodities valued in britain. Ethan canin is the author of six books of fiction, including the forthcoming. Sacred hunger by barry unsworth 1993, paperback for sale. He grew up in a small mining community in county durham, in the north of england. Barry unsworths parable of capitalism aboard a slave ship is told with vigour and conviction. Barry unsworth had a robust historical imagination, and won the booker prize for sacred hunger, but less famous is his novel losing nelson, where a presentday observer interrogates the legend of the 18thcentury admiral, and has to rethink his hero worship. After studying english at manchester university and completing two years national service, he lived in france for a year where he taught english. The phrase, sacred hunger, refers to the power of total control and, more, the desire.
The novel is set in the 17th century in england, america, the carribbean and africa. Barry unsworth returns to the terrain of his booker prizewinning novel sacred hunger, this time following sullivan, the irish fiddler, and erasmus kemp, son of a liverpool slave ship owner who hanged himself. May contain limited notes, underlining or highlighting that does affect the text. The story is set in the mid 18th century and centres on the liverpool merchant, a slave ship employed in the triangular trade, a central trade route in the atlantic slave trade. Sacred hunger is an ambitious drama based on the 18th century triangular slave trade route.
After university he served in the royal corps of signals. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 630 pages and is available in paperback format. Free download or read online sacred hunger pdf epub book. It was joint winner of the booker prize that year, sharing the position with michael ondaatjes the english patient. The novel is broken into two books, beginning in 1752 and 1753 and ending in 1765, with a decade or so separating the two. Sacred hunger is written by the british novelist barry unsworth. It tells the story of the liverpool merchant, an 18th century slaving ship that engages in the infamous triangle trade. Winner of the booker prize a historical novel set in the eighteenth century, sacred hunger is a stunning, engrossing exploration of power, domination, and greed in the british empire as it entered fully into the slave trade and spread it throughout its colonies.
Barry unsworth sacred hunger first published in 1992 winner of that years booker prize to john, madeleine and felix reiss. A blasphemous outcast, matthew paris boards the liverpool merchant as ships doctor as. The first edition of the novel was published in 1992, and was written by barry unsworth. Barry unsworth is the author of the booker prizewinning sacred hunger, the bookernominated morality play, and many other novels.
Barry unsworths novel, sacred hunger could well have been two books. In the booker prizewinning work, barry unsworth follows the failing fortunes of william kemp, a merchant pinning his last chance to a slave ship. Reading sacred hunger, barry unsworths long and beautifully. Sacred hunger is one of those books that stays on your mind long after youve finished it. Sacred hunger is a stunning and engrossing exploration of power, domination, and greed. See all books authored by barry unsworth, including sacred hunger, and morality play, and more on.
It shared the booker prize that year with michael ondaatje s the english patient. Sign me up to get more news about historical fiction books. The phrase, sacred hunger, refers to the power of total control and, more, the desire to own all of a family, a country, a continent and this total control is the product of sacred hunger. Barry unsworth books list of books by author barry unsworth. A masterful, thoroughly engrossing tale from acclaimed historical novelist unsworth pascalis island, 1980. Sacred hunger by barry unsworth, 9780140119930, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Barry unsworth is often thought of as an historical novelist.
Sacred hunger is a historical novel by barry unsworth first published in 1992 by hamish hamilton. Unsworth won a booker prize in 1992 for sacred hunger, a story of avarice set amid the atlantic slave trade of the 18th century. Since unsworth won the pulitzer for this book i expected a lot and i wasnt disappointed. Through the perspectives of erasmus kemp, son of the shipowner and an obsessive, insensitive youth. Published by hamish hamilton a blasphemous outcast, matthew paris boards the liverpool merchant as ships doctor as it embarks on a mercantile voyage in the slave trade. Barry unsworth frsl 10 august 1930 4 june 2012 was an english writer known for his historical fiction. Barry unsworths novel sacred hunger is an exquisitely crafted tale of commerce and corruption set in 18th century england, at the heart of which lies the tension between the moral characters of two cousins. Barry unsworth 19302012 was a british novelist who wrote historical fiction. Its been several months since i promised to write this blog on sacred hunger, the book that shared the 1992 booker prize with the english patient. What struck me most reading this novel is my changing attitudes towards the protagonists.