Precursors of Antislavery: Reassessing the Académie Française Poetry Competition of 1823

Focussing on a selection of the poems from the 1823 Académie Française's Prix de Poésie, which had for its title l'Abolition de la traite des noirs, this article will explore the key imagery underpinning representations of slavery and arguments for abolition at the time, answering the critical neglect of antislavery poetry and bringing fresh insight to our understanding of the perceptions and representations of early nineteenth-century slavery. Using postcolonial theory, I will interrogate and problematise the narratives the poets have reproduced, as well as analyse the development of abolitionist discourse over the course of the early nineteenth century.