“Joanna Bromley’ is a follow-up to my feature film script titled ‘The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano’. Joanna was the mixed-race daughter of Olaudah Equiano (aka. Gustavus Vassa) in 19th century England. She married an Englishman by the name of Henry Bromley on the 29th August 1821 at Shoreditch Church in London and became Joanna Bromley. She died at the age of 61 on the 10th March 1857 and was buried in Stoke Newington in London. Unlike today, she was around at a time when it was not credible to be mixed-race in society. However, she was shielded by her wealth inherited from her African father and she could possibly be a spiritual ancestor of all mixed-race English women today. Whereas the intention with ‘The Interesting Narrative’ was to put Equiano front and centre of my story, my intention with ‘Joanna Bromley’ was to present a woman of colour on the screen in Jane Austen’s England.”
From ‘Joanna Bromley’ – included in the showcase