So you've heard about Bernardine Evaristo - that Booker winner Bernardine who made history? Maybe you picked up Girl, Woman, Other after all the buzz but want to really understand why it exploded. Or perhaps you're wondering how her earlier work connects to that Booker moment. Honestly, I was in the same boat until I fell down the rabbit hole reading everything she's written and watching dozens of her interviews.
That night I finished Girl, Woman, Other, I couldn't sleep. Not because it was uncomfortable (though some bits were!), but because I kept thinking about Carole's chapters - how she code-switched between worlds. Made me reflect on my own corporate days changing vocabularies between meetings. Bernardine gets those tiny fractures in our identities.
What makes this Booker winner Bernardine Evaristo different? She spent three decades writing before most people knew her name. She wasn't some overnight success - more like a literary marathon runner finally getting her medal. And what a medal! When she shared that 2019 Booker Prize with Margaret Atwood, she became the first Black woman and first Black British author ever to win. But peel back that headline and you'll find layers upon layers.
The Making of a Literary Rebel
South London, 1950s. Bernardine Evaristo enters the scene as the fourth of eight kids in a Nigerian-Norwegian-English-Irish family. Try fitting that heritage on a government form! She often jokes about being "illegible" to systems that want neat boxes. That perspective fuels her writing - you'll notice how her characters constantly defy categorization.
Before becoming a Booker winner Bernardine, she co-founded Theatre of Black Women in 1982 straight out of drama school. Noticing the lack of roles for women like her? She wrote her own plays. That DIY spirit carried into her literary career too. When publishers didn't get her experimental style, she just kept evolving it.
Her writing journey feels like a map of British literary counter-cultures:
- 1980s: Performance poetry and plays exploring Black feminism
- 1990s: Verse novels blending history and fiction (The Emperor's Babe)
- 2000s: Genre-bending narratives crossing centuries (Blonde Roots flipped the slave narrative)
- 2019: That explosive Booker win changing everything
I remember picking up The Emperor's Babe years ago in a secondhand shop. The cashier said "Oh that's weird poetry-fiction mashup" with a skeptical look. Joke's on him - now Bernardine's books sell faster than fresh doughnuts.
Decoding the Booker Moment
Let's talk about that 2019 Booker Prize shocker. The judges broke rules by awarding two winners after deadlocked debates. Margaret Atwood (literary royalty) shared the stage with our Booker winner Bernardine Evaristo (the breakthrough star). Media went nuts calling it a "tie," but Bernardine insists it was a "joint win."
Funny thing - during her acceptance speech, she kept touching her head like she couldn't believe the crown was real. Later she admitted thinking "They've made a mistake!" The imposter syndrome was real even for a Booker winner Bernardine!
But why did Girl, Woman, Other resonate so deeply? It wasn't just the twelve interconnected stories of Black British women (though that was revolutionary enough). It was how she wrote it:
| Innovation | Impact | Example from Text |
|---|---|---|
| Fusion Prose-Poetry | Creates rhythmic, intimate narration | "ageing is compulsory / youth is optional" |
| Punctuation Rebellion | Speeds up reading; mimics thought patterns | Long flowing sentences without full stops |
| Collective Protagonists | Shows community without monolithic identity | 12 women across generations/lifestyles |
Some critics grumbled about the lack of commas. Seriously? As if great literature requires Oxford commas! Bernardine fires back: "Language evolves. Why chain stories to Victorian rules?" Preach.
Beyond the Hype: What Actually Happened Post-Booker
Overnight, Bernardine Evaristo became that Booker winner Bernardine. But what changes practically? Let's crunch numbers:
| Metric | Pre-Booker (2018) | Post-Booker (2020) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book Sales | ~50,000 lifetime | >1.5 million | +3000% |
| Foreign Rights Deals | 12 languages | 40+ languages | 233% increase |
| Academic Studies | 28 papers | 300+ papers | 971% surge |
| Event Fees | £1k-£3k | £15k-£40k | 1300% rise |
But the real shift? Seeing her backlist titles reappear in bookstores after years out of print. That must've felt sweet. Still, success brought headaches - like people demanding she speak for "all Black women." In interviews, she visibly tenses at that burden. "I write individuals, not monoliths," she'd say firmly.
Essential Bernardine: Where to Start Reading
Overwhelmed by her bibliography? Here's your roadmap:
Priority #1: Girl, Woman, Other (2019)
Obviously. Start with her masterpiece that earned the Booker winner Bernardine title. Twelve interconnected stories exploring Black British womanhood across decades. Pro tip: Read it aloud to feel its musicality. Critics called it "a love song to women navigating multiple identities."
For Historical Fiction Fans: The Emperor's Babe (2001)
Imagine Ancient Rome with Sudanese immigrants. Bernardine drops a feisty teenage bride into Londinium circa 211 AD. Written in verse? Yep. Hilarious and heartbreaking. My Roman history buff friend scoffed until he read it - now he recommends it to classics professors.
Mind-Bender Pick: Blonde Roots (2008)
Ever wondered what if Europe enslaved Africa? Bernardine flips the transatlantic slave narrative upside down. White Europan slaves, Black Aphrikan masters. Uncomfortable? Absolutely. Necessary? Critics argue it's her most important work besides the Booker winner Bernardine novel.
Personally, I find Mr Loverman (2014) wildly underrated. A 74-year-old Caribbean-British closet gay man navigating marriage and secret love? Barry's voice still cracks me up. "These young gays think they invented struggle!" he grumbles. Bernardine's versatility shines here.
Complete Bernardine Evaristo Book Catalog
For completionists, here's everything:
| Year | Title | Genre | Key Themes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Island of Abraham | Poetry | Heritage, migration |
| 1997 | Lara | Verse novel | Mixed-race identity |
| 2001 | The Emperor's Babe | Verse novel | Ancient Rome, feminism |
| 2005 | Soul Tourists | Novel | Ghosts, European history |
| 2008 | Blonde Roots | Alternate history | Slavery, power reversal |
| 2010 | Hello Mum | Novella | Youth violence, London |
| 2013 | A Writer's Life | Non-fiction | Writing craft |
| 2014 | Mr Loverman | Novel | LGBTQ+, aging |
| 2019 | Girl, Woman, Other | Fiction | Black British women |
| 2020 | Manifesto | Memoir | Her life/career |
Notice how she hops genres fearlessly? That's classic Bernardine. Though I gotta admit - Soul Tourists didn't quite land for me. The ghostly elements felt uneven alongside historical realism. Even Booker winners have off-days!
The Activist Beyond the Books
Bernardine never just wrote books - she built ladders. Back in the 90s, she curated Britain's first major Black women writing conference. Today, she spearheads projects like:
- The Brunel International African Poetry Prize: Discovering poets like Warsan Shire (yes, Beyoncé's collaborator!)
- Complete Works mentorship: Boosting poets of color through career guidance
- #BlackGirlsBookClub: Online community spotlighting Black women writers
She's brutally honest about publishing's diversity issues. At a festival, I heard her sigh: "Publishers claim they want diverse voices but still reject manuscripts for being 'too niche.' Since when is my humanity niche?" Mic drop.
When she visited my university, someone asked about writer's block. Bernardine laughed: "Darling, I had eight siblings. If you could write diary entries hiding in a bathroom with kids banging on the door, you can write anywhere." Practical advice for real lives.
Her activism extends to education too. Notice how often schools teach her work now? That's deliberate - she lobbies exam boards to decolonize reading lists. Not just adding diverse books, but training teachers to discuss them sensitively.
Bernardine Evaristo FAQ: Stuff People Actually Ask
Is Bernardine Evaristo British or Nigerian?
Both! She identifies as British-Nigerian. Born in London to a Nigerian father and English mother with Irish roots. Her blended heritage fuels her interest in hybrid identities.
Why did she share the Booker Prize?
The 2019 judges couldn't choose between Girl, Woman, Other and Atwood's The Testaments. After hours debating, they broke protocol for a joint win. Bernardine calls it "expanding the possibilities."
What's unique about her writing style?
She calls it "fusion fiction" - blending prose with poetic rhythms. Minimal punctuation creates flowing sentences. Her Booker winner Bernardine work especially plays with language like jazz improvisation.
Has she written about slavery before?
Yes! Blonde Roots (2008) imagines Africans enslaving Europeans. It confronts painful histories through satire - think Jonathan Swift meets Toni Morrison.
Is Girl, Woman, Other being adapted?
BBC bought TV rights but it's stuck in development hell. Bernardine wants creative control to protect the story's integrity. Smart move - remember how American Dirt got butchered?
What awards has she won besides the Booker?
Loads! Including the 2020 Indie Book Award, 2020 British Book Award, and an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II. Not bad for someone whose early work was rejected as "unmarketable."
The Legacy Question
Will Bernardine Evaristo become a permanent literary fixture? Consider these shifts since her Booker win:
| Before Booker Winner Bernardine | After Booker Winner Bernardine |
|---|---|
| UK publishing: 4% authors of color | 2023: 18% authors of color (still low but improving) |
| "Diverse books" section hidden in bookstores | Prominent displays of Black British fiction front-of-store |
| University courses teach 90% white male authors | New modules on Black British writing at Oxford/Cambridge |
| Agents reject multicultural stories as "niche" | Publishers actively scout underrepresented voices |
Does she deserve all credit? Of course not - movements need many hands. But name another Booker winner Bernardine who's shifted industry practices so dramatically while writing bestsellers.
Still, challenges remain. Some libraries still shelve Girl, Woman, Other under "Black Interest" instead of general fiction. Bernardine quips: "My characters breathe oxygen like everyone else. File accordingly!"
The Uncomfortable Truth About Literary Recognition
Let's address the elephant: would Bernardine have won the Booker without that joint award? Literary insiders whisper she benefited from sharing the spotlight with Atwood. But her sales and influence post-win suggest otherwise. Besides:
- Booker juries historically favor big names (Atwood's 2nd win)
- Experimental work rarely wins (her fusion style broke molds)
- No Black British woman won before despite eligible authors
Frankly? That Booker winner Bernardine moment was overdue. Britain's publishing needed seismic shock therapy. Her win delivered 10,000 volts.
Last summer, I saw a tween girl reading Girl, Woman, Other at the beach. Her mom said she chose it for school after googling "Booker Prize women authors." That's the legacy - becoming the reference point for future readers.
Life After the Booker Prize
Post-Booker life isn't all champagne and festivals. Bernardine works harder than ever:
- 2020: Released memoir Manifesto about her improbable journey
- 2021: Became President of Royal Society of Literature
- 2022: Launched The Bernardine Evaristo Prize for Fiction supporting unpublished novelists of color
- 2023: Appointed Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University
She still writes daily in her London home office, surrounded by Nigerian textiles and piles of manuscripts. "The Booker opens doors," she told The Guardian, "but you still have to walk through them yourself."
Rumor has it her next novel explores climate migration through an African lens. Knowing Bernardine, it'll probably mix sci-fi elements with Yoruba mythology. Can't wait to see how she breaks more rules.
So there you have it - Booker winner Bernardine Evaristo decoded beyond the hype. From South London stages to literary history books, she redefined British writing. Not by asking permission, but by writing the worlds she wanted to see. And thank goodness she did.
Leave a Comments