The forthcoming film 12 Years A Slave is based upon the incredible but true autobiography of Solomon Northrup of freedom, enslavement and escape. 12 Years a Slave was published in 1853 and reveals that a free black man was kidnapped in Washington D. C. in 1841 and worked on Louisiana plantations for 12 years before his release. In antebellum America, Northrup lived in upstate New York, was kidnapped and then sold into slavery. Northrup was purchased by a cruel master but experienced unexpected kindness from a variety of sources. Northrup's constant struggle is stay alive as a slave and retaining his dignity as a human being. A chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist changes Northrup's odds of leaving slavery and returning to his home and family.
Actors you may recognize include Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The trailer is located on MovieWeb. The full cast list, screenwriters and other credits are located at the Internet Movie Database. The screenplay is written by John Ridley who wrote the screenplay for Redtails and Three Kings.
The book is available at Amazon.com is hardcover, paperback, audiobook,and Kindle editions.
Also, in August 2013 Praeger Publishing will offer an annotated, 238 page edition of the autobiography. The following text is provided by the publisher.
Solomon Northup: The Complete Story of the Author of Twelve Years A
Slave provides a compelling chronological narrative of Northup's entire life,
from his birth in an isolated settlement in upstate New York to the activities
he pursued after his release from slavery. This comprehensive biography of
Solomon Northup picks up where earlier annotated editions of his narrative left
off, presenting fascinating, previously unknown information about the author of
the autobiographical Twelve Years A Slave.
This book examines Northup's life as a slave and reveals details of his life
after he regained his freedom, relating how he traveled around the Northeast
giving public lectures, worked with an Underground Railroad agent in Vermont to
help fugitive slaves reach freedom in Canada, and was connected with several
theatrical productions based upon his experiences. The tale of Northup's life
demonstrates how the victims of the American system of slavery were not just the
slaves themselves, but any free person of color—all of whom were potential
kidnap victims, and whose lives were affected by that constant threat.