“ When the Booker Prize was launched in 1968, its founders Tom Maschler and Graham C. Greene were sponsored by Booker McConnell, a food distribution company based permanently in Guyana. » It is on these lines that opens The Booker brothers and enslavementan article posted on the website of the illustrious literary prize which exposes the dismal past of the Booker family, its historical sponsor and in particular the brothers George And Josiah Bookerowners of nearly 200 slaves in Démerara, on several sugar plantations.
But certain formulations used by its authors were not unanimous. When the radio host Richie Bravehimself a descendant of Booker family slaves, reads that the Booker brothers “ supervised the slaves », he calls out to the site administrators on his X account: “Hello Booker Prize, I really appreciate your transparency. The African people mentioned below belong to my family. Josiah & George did not “supervise” them. They enslaved them. They were slavers, not “supervisors.” He is joined in this denunciation by the historian Randy Brownewho comments: “ The problem with this term is the meaning a 21st century reader attaches to it. These words are too easily decontextualized and softened. »
An assumed past
The denunciation of this heritage has existed since the beginnings of the prize, when the 1972 winner, John Berger, had donated half of his reward to the Black Panthers. Managed by the Booker Prize Foundation since 2002, its organization has since no longer had any links with Booker-McConnell, and has recognized the darker side of its genesis.
Reacting to Richie Brave’s comments, she modified the sentence concerned and announced the future publication of a more detailed article, written by a historian from Guyana. “ We appreciate this contact, and we recognize the importance of the language used. The Booker Prize is committed to literary excellence and the conscious exercise of justice. We will continue to think about how to bring this message to readers around the world », indicated the management in a press release.
Grateful, Richie Brave nevertheless confided to the Guardian : “ I hope the Booker wonders about his name. A name that was imposed on us. As an organization, they have the choice to change it. Personally, I would not wish to be associated with this story. »
