The Longest Memory is a short fiction novel (only 137 pages long) by British writer Fred D'Aguiar

Fred D'Aguiar

Fred D'Aguiar is an author of poetry, novels, and drama.D'Aguiar was born in London. His parents were Guyanese. He spent his childhood, from the age of two to twelve, in Guyana. His work has received much, and growing, acclaim. His Bill of Rights, about the Jonestown Massacre of 1978, was a...

. The story takes place on a Virginian plantation and is told through many different people and in different forms. It begins in first person, with Whitechapel, the oldest and most respected slave on the plantation, recounting the sorrows of his life. From there on in each chapter is narrated by a different character, sometimes speaking through verse, via diary entry or in second person

Second person

Second person can refer to the following:* A grammatical person, you, your and yours in the English language* Second-person narrative, a perspective in storytelling* Second Person , a trip-hop band from London...

. Most of the chapters are narrated by characters central to the story, however chapter 11 is purely made up of fictitious editorials from the local newspaper known as the Virginian.

Plot

A young slave, Chapel, falls in love with the daughter of the plantation owner. He attempts to run away and join his lover in the north. However his father, Whitechapel, betrays his whereabouts, fearing that his son will die if he is not captured and returned home to the plantation. Chapel is captured and brought back to the plantation where he is whipped by Sanders Junior, the overseer. Chapel catches a fever after the whipping and dies, due to his weak state. Everybody blames Whitechapel for Chapel's death.

Mr. Whitechapel, the owner of the plantation was away from the plantation that day, and was unaware of the occurrences taking place. He had given specific instructions to hold the slave until he returned, which were not carried out by Sanders Jr. Mr Whitechapel is angered when he finds out that Sanders Jr. whipped his half brother to death. Then the book goes back in time to the diary of Sanders Senior, the memories of Cook and Lydia. It is then finished with extacts from the Virginian local newspaper of the year 1810 having direct connections with the events of the story.

Awards

"The Longest Memory" was the winner of the Whitbread First Novel Award

1994 Whitbread Awards

The Whitbread Awards are among the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary awards. They were launched in 1971, are given both for high literary merit but also for works that are enjoyable reading and whose aim is to convey the enjoyment of reading to the widest possible audience...

 and the David Higham Prize for Fiction

David Higham Prize for Fiction

The David Higham Prize for Fiction was inaugurated in 1975 to mark the 80th birthday of the late David Higham, literary agent, and was awarded annually to a citizen of the Commonwealth, Republic of Ireland, Pakistan, or South Africa for a first novel or book of short stories...

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