Toussaint Louverture by C.L.R. James - Adapted by Nic Watts and Sakina Karimjee

C.L.R. James, Toussaint Louverture, Adapted by Nic Watts and Sakina Karimjee (Verso, 2023).

If you are unfamiliar with the work of C. L. R. James, you might want to get up to speed - he’s a fascinating individual and reading his work is well worth the effort. A Trinidadian-born playwright, historian, and political activist, he is best known for his groundbreaking book The Black Jacobins (1938), which explored the Haitian Revolution and its implications for anti-colonial struggles worldwide. I the big sweep of historiography, I think it is vitally important that we understand the scholars who focus on the intersection of history, politics, and literature. James was actively engaged in various political movements, including Pan-Africanism and Trotskyism, advocating for social justice and the rights of marginalized communities. His perspective, whether or not you hold it in esteem, is profoundly important - especially as it applies to the development of the study of black agency within the context of an Atlantic slave system.

His play Toussaint Louverture holds significance in the realm of both theater and historical narrative. Opening in 1936 (starring none other than the famed Paul Robeson in the title role), the play was a groundbreaking work that brought to life the complex story of Toussaint Louverture, the Haitian revolutionary leader. This historical drama was revolutionary in its own right as it depicted a black protagonist in a time when such representation was rare in theater.

The play shed light on the Haitian Revolution, one of the most consequential slave uprisings in history, and portrayed Louverture as a charismatic and dynamic figure. Through this work, James aimed to challenge prevailing racial stereotypes and underscore the importance of the Haitian Revolution in the broader context of anti-colonial and anti-slavery struggles.

Oddly, the script for the play went missing for near seventy years when researchers rediscovered it, so to speak, in James’s archival material. Lucky us, because the artists Nic Watts and Sakina Karimjee have reimagined the whole thing in the form of a graphic novel. Their illustrations do justice to the original work, beautifully rendered and depicting dynamic characters and exciting drama.

We might think of this as a visual representation of an significant addition to the field of colonial, revolution, and anti-slavery studies from the perspective of the revolutionaries - always keeping in mind that this was something of an exception to the rule in the context of 1930s history, literature, and theater.

Here’s a couple of examples…

Pretty awesome, if you ask me. I certainly think all of this is suitable, and I highly recommend the book for young readers. But really anyone who seeks to explore history in unique ways will appreciate this book. So grab a copy and let me know what you think.

With compliments,

Keith