Presentation by Grant Parker on “Narratives of Enslavement”

On October 21st, 2021, Professor Grant Parker of the Classics Department, along with his South African Collaborators, presented on their project Narratives of Enslavement.

A new project throws up more questions than answers: I am part of a project that seeks to digitally republish transcripts of legal cases involving enslaved persons at the Cape of Good Hope (1705-94). This is a chance to scrutinize the notion of ‘slave narrative’, comparing the Cape trial records with other histories. The most urgent question is: What notion of narrative is most productive for these court trials, and what are the implications for their digitization?