British Library sorry for slavery slur on Hughes
THE British Library has apologised for including Ted Hughes, the former poet laureate, in a slavery dossier based on the actions of a distant ancestor.
Hughes, who died in 1998, was included on a list of authors said to be connected to “profits from slavery or from colonialism”.
But his i nclusion was based on the actions of his ancestor Nicholas Ferrar, who died in 1637, centuries before Hughes was born.
The British Library has now issued an apology to the Yorkshire poet’s widow, Carol Hughes, for the distress caused. The dossier has now been withdrawn.
The Ted Hughes Estate has welcomed the withdrawal of the “misleading” reference.
A statement f rom t he Library said that including Hughes on the list caused “confusion and concern” and the reference “should not have been made”.
It said: “We regret profoundly the distress that this has caused and have removed the spreadsheet pending a review of this research.
“In particular we wish to apologise to Mrs Carol Hughes, widow of the late poet laureate, Ted Hughes, and to other family members and friends.”
The dossier was part of institutional work to make the Library “anti-racist”.
Lord Byron, Oscar Wilde, and George Orwell were also included. Hughes’s relative, born in 1592, was said to be “deeply involved” with the London Virginia Company set up to establish colonies in North America.
A statement from the Ted Hughes Estate said: “Mrs
Carol Hughes, widow of the l ate poet l aureate, Ted Hughes, has welcomed the apology from the British Library, its acknowledgement of the distress caused by c o mments on the Library’s website that should not have been made, and its assurance that these comments will not be repeated.”
Hughes became famous as a poet examining the brutality of the natural world, and became poet l aureate in 1984.