Oroonoko text by aphra behn biography

Work of fiction, published in 1688

Oroonoko: or, the Royal Slave is a work of prose fiction by Aphra Behn (1640–1689), first published in 1688 by William Canning and reprinted later that year in the compilation Three Histories by Mrs.

A. Behn.^[1] The eponymous hero is an African prince from Coramantien who is tricked into slavery and sold to European colonists in Surinam where he meets the narrator. Behn's text is a first-person account of Oroonoko's life, love, and rebellion.^[2]

Behn, often cited as the first known professional female writer,^[3] was a successful playwright, poet, translator and essayist.

She began writing prose fiction in the 1680s, probably in response to the consolidation of theatres that led to a reduced need for new plays.^[4] Published less than a year before she died, Oroonoko is sometimes described as one of the first novels in English.

Interest in Oroonoko has increased since the 1970s, with cri