Ilyon Woo and Master Slave Husband Wife

Join us for an evening with Ilyon Woo, author of Master Slave Husband Wife, the remarkable true story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped slavery through daring, determination, and disguise, with Ellen passing as a wealthy, disabled White man and William posing as “his” slave. Ilyon will be in conversation with Nicki Salcedo. Registration is free but requested to guarantee your seat.

Important Updates: This event will be on the Fourth Floor of Decatur Library. Please enter through the main level of the library, not the lower level where the auditorium is (this level will be locked). Parking is available on both levels of the parking deck and throughout Decatur. There will be signs when you arrive to the building, but note that only one elevator goes to the Fourth Floor (the one on the right when you're facing the elevators), and it will be unlocked by 6:30 so you can access the Fourth Floor and claim a seat. The bathrooms are limited on the Fourth Floor currently, so we recommend using them on the First or Third Floor before the event, or on the First Floor after the event (the library closes at 8 and only the Fourth and First floors will be open at that time).***This event is full, so please arrive early to guarantee a seat.

About the Book:

In 1848, a year of international democratic revolt, a young, enslaved couple, Ellen and William Craft, achieved one of the boldest feats of self-emancipation in American history. Posing as master and slave, while sustained by their love as husband and wife, they made their escape together across more than 1,000 miles, riding out in the open on steamboats, carriages, and trains that took them from bondage in Georgia to the free states of the North.

Along the way, they dodged slave traders, military officers, and even friends of their enslavers, who might have revealed their true identities. The tale of their adventure soon made them celebrities, and generated headlines around the country. Americans could not get enough of this charismatic young couple, who traveled another 1,000 miles criss-crossing New England, drawing thunderous applause as they spoke alongside some of the greatest abolitionist luminaries of the day—among them Frederick Douglass and William Wells Brown.

But even then, they were not out of danger. With the passage of an infamous new Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, all Americans became accountable for returning refugees like the Crafts to slavery. Then yet another adventure began, as slave hunters came up from Georgia, forcing the Crafts to flee once again—this time from the United States, their lives and thousands more on the line and the stakes never higher.

With three epic journeys compressed into one monumental bid for freedom, Master Slave Husband Wife is an American love story—one that would challenge the nation’s core precepts of life, liberty, and justice for all—one that challenges us even now.

About the Author:

Ilyon Woo is the New York Times bestselling author of Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom and The Great Divorce: A Nineteenth-Century Mother’s Extraordinary Fight Against Her Husband, the Shakers, and Her Times. Her writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and The New York Times, and she has received support for her research from the Whiting Foundation, and National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Antiquarian Society, among other institutions. She holds a BA in the Humanities from Yale College and a PhD in English from Columbia University.

About the Moderator:

Nicki Salcedo is an Atlanta native with a degree in English and Creative Writing from Stanford University. She is the author of All Beautiful Things and three books of essays. Her writing career has led her to opportunities on stage, podcasts, and the radio. She teaches creative writing across the country including the writing certificate program at Emory University Continuing Education. She is a freelance writer, movie reviewer, and journalist. She is also a Mental Health First Aid Instructor and sought after speaker on the topics of wellbeing, mindfulness, self-care, creativity, DEI, and building company culture. Nicki lives in Atlanta with her family and cats. She loves connecting with writers, readers, people who care about each other.