London, 1796. Exhausted and overwhelmed by emotion, old Gustavus Vassa tells the story of his turbulent life. As a child, he was kidnapped in Nigeria along with his sister, and sold into slavery. Vassa travelled around the world, from America to Europe, and found his way to freedom. He taught himself to read and write, married a beautiful white British girl, and became an important voice in the fight against slavery.

The Black Messiah is based on a true story. Chika Unigwe has rewritten Gustavus Vassa’s eventful life into a remarkably epic and a timeless love story. But The Black Messiah is also a compelling tale of adventure that takes the reader inside the holds of slave ships and at the heart of the eighteenth century.

Although originally written in English, The Black Messiah appeared in Dutch translation under the title De zwarte messias, published by Antwerp-based De Bezige Bij in 2013. The original English version is yet to be released.