Sancho and Sterne: A Meeting of Minds in Georgian Britain

Join us for the launch of a new student-led critical edition of the correspondence between Ignatius Sancho and Laurence Sterne.

This event explores the remarkable intellectual exchange between two of the eighteenth century’s most distinctive voices. Ignatius Sancho, writer, composer, and one of the first Black Britons known to have voted in a parliamentary election, corresponded with Laurence Sterne, the author of Tristram Shandy, in a series of letters that engage directly with questions of empathy, slavery, and moral responsibility in Georgian Britain.

Produced by students at York St John University, this new accessible edition brings their dialogue to life for contemporary readers. The event will include short talks, reflections on the editorial process, and discussion of how their meeting of minds continues to resonate today.

Help celebrate the launch of this collaborative project with a glass of fizz on arrival!

Start time: 15:30 (Doors open 15:20)

Finish time: 16:45 approx

As part of York Georgian Festival!

Please note we have 2 wheelchair spaces available, please email ymhevents@york.gov.uk or call us on 01904 553663 when booking your tickets to secure a wheelchair space.