David Fiske to Read from Book about Freed Slave, Solomon Northup

June 10, 2012 - PRLog -- David Fiske will be reading from his book, Solomon Northup: His Life Before and After Slavery at the 2012 Festival of Writers: Country and Conflict, in Rensselaerville, New York. The festival is a fundraising event for the Rensselaerville Library.

Fiske will be reading from his book, and signing copies, on Saturday, July 28, from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm. The cost for this individual event is $10.50, but package rates are also available for the Festival. Ticket pricing, and the complete schedule of events, are available at the Festival of Writers Web site: http://festivalofwriters.org/

Fiske is a professional librarian and genealogist residing in the history-laden village of Ballston Spa, New York. Specializing in Saratoga, Washington and Warren counties of New York, his local historical research has been featured in Ballston Spa Life, a weekly newspaper published by The Saratogian newspaper. His book, Solomon Northup: His Life Before and After Slavery, was released in January 2012.

Northup was a free black man living in Saratoga Springs, New York, when, in 1841, he was lured away from home and sold into slavery. He lived the life of a slave in Louisiana for nearly 12 years, until he was rescued and returned home. In 1853 he authored an autobiographical book, Twelve Years a Slave.

Fiske's book contains many interesting details of Northup's life, including accounts of lectures Northup gave following publication of his own book in the 1850s, information on his family members, and documentation of his work on the Underground Railroad.