Diary – 10 March 2007

William Wilberforce is about to hit cinemas as the Great White Emancipationist Hero in Amazing Grace. Wilberforce was a decent guy. We all need heroes; but let’s be clear, this is not, as it claims, ‘The True Story’. Ioan Gruffudd strides around convincing us that slaves had nothing to do with their own emancipation; nor was abolition due to radical democratic republicanism and mobilisation by ordinary people. No, it was nice conscientious white boys pushing a compromise bill through the corridors of Parliament whom we can thank for ridding the world of this abomination. Wilberforce would be appalled at being credited with virtually single-handedly bringing about abolition. Come on, Michael Apted, you’re better than this. It’s the 21st century. Where’s the blockbuster about William Cuffey, the deformed black travelling tailor who really did lead a rights-based, moral radical movement in Britain?

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Just as we’re being deluged with Austen-themed films, 2,000 readers polled for a World Book Day survey have declared Pride and Prejudice the novel they can’t live without.