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The Big Payback

The Case for Reparations for Slavery and How They Would Work
By Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder
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Brief Description
At the abolition of the slave trade two centuries ago, the British government paid huge amounts of compensation to slave-owners. Only in 2015 did British taxpayers stop paying off this debt. How is it that slave-owners were paid compensation from our taxes, yet the enslaved and... Read More
Format: Hardback
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An eye-opening manifesto on why reparations are the only way for the UK to address racism by Black British Lives Matter writers Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder.

An eye-opening manifesto on why reparations are the only way for the UK to address racism by Black British Lives Matter writers Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

At the abolition of the slave trade two centuries ago, the British government paid huge amounts of compensation to slave-owners. Only in 2015 did British taxpayers stop paying off this debt.

How is it that slave-owners were paid compensation from our taxes, yet the enslaved and their families were not? Why should the descendants of former slave-owners still benefit from inherited wealth while the successors of the victims of slavery receive nothing, and may have even paid towards the debt of compensation through their taxes?

Beginning with these simple but startling questions, Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder explore the burning issue of how best we can resolve the inequality resulting from 400 years of the enslavement of African people and the ongoing racism still suffered by millions across the world.

Talking to reparation experts, economists, politicians, and anti-racism campaigners, including Bell Rebeiro-Addy, Robert Beckford, Kenneth Mohammed and Kehinde Andrews, they investigate how reparations can work, and how we can help to make them happen.

The Big Payback is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand and address the legacies of the past in our societies today.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571380015

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 09 October 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 224

Collections

History & Archaeology History & Military Lenny Henry Marcus Ryder Non-Fiction

About the Author

Lenny Henry has been a comedian since the age of 16. He has risen from being a cult star on children's television to one of Britain's best-known and most celebrated comedians, as well as a writer, radio DJ, TV presenter, and award-winning actor. He is best-known for his appearances in TISWAS, Three of a Kind, The Lenny Henry Show, Hope & Glory, Lenny Henry in Pieces and Chef! Since co-founding Comic Relief in 1985, he has also been involved in every Red Nose Day night since 1988. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards as well as the British Academy Television Special Award, and is a fellow of the Royal Television Society. Henry has a PhD in Media Arts, and in 2015 was awarded a knighthood for services to charity and drama. In 2018, BBC One aired The Lenny Henry Birthday Show to celebrate his career so far.

Together, with Marcus Ryder, they are the co-editors of Black British Lives Matter.

Marcus Ryder has over twenty-five years' experience working in television and journalism and is a leader on the issue of diversity in the media. He was previously the Chair of the Royal Television Society's Diversity Committee and was the head of BBC Scotland Current Affairs for nearly a decade. He is the recipient of a number of awards for his work, including multiple BAFTA Awards,and recently took up the position of Chair of RADA Council - the UK's leading drama school.



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    Both timely and vital . . . There has never been greater need for a thoughtful discussion on race. This study of the case for reparations, which binds the past and present together so cleverly, is an important contribution. - Diane Abbott, Guardian After abolishing the slave trade two centuries ago, the British government paid huge amounts of compensation to...
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  • The Big Payback
    Pre-order
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    Both timely and vital . . . There has never been greater need for a thoughtful discussion on race. This study of the case for reparations, which binds the past and present together so cleverly, is an important contribution. - Diane Abbott, Guardian After abolishing the slave trade two centuries ago, the British government paid huge amounts of compensation to...
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