From a secret homosexual love story to a controversial Booker Prize win, Bernardine Evaristo has left a strong mark on contemporary literature.
Here are seven of her most important works, listed:
7. Soul Tourists (2005)
Even by Evaristo’s experimental standards, this novel is an ambitious mix of form and story. It follows a mismatched couple—the serious Stanley and the lively Jessie—on a journey through Europe, where they encounter black historical figures, from Alexander Pushkin to Mary Seacole. Told through a combination of prose, poetry, screenplays, and documents, the book has energy and charm, even as it often overwhelms its own ambition.
6. Manifesto: On Never Giving Up (2021)
A short but powerful memoir that follows the author's life from childhood to literary success. The main message is perseverance in life and creativity. Although rich in detail and humor, the fragmentary structure does not always reach the power of her novels.
5. Lara (1997)
The author's first novel, written in verse, is an autobiographical reflection on her identity and heritage – from her Nigerian roots to her English and Irish roots. A formative text for Evaristo, it helped her find her literary voice.
4. Blonde Roots (2008)
A simple but brilliant idea: what if the history of slavery was reversed? In this alternate world, a white girl ends up enslaved in “America.” Although it deals with heavy themes, the sharp irony makes the novel engaging and powerful.
3. The Emperor's Babe (2001)
A story told in verse about Zuleika, a half-Nubian girl in ancient Rome. Married at a young age, she falls in love with the emperor Septimius Severus. The book is full of linguistic energy and stylistic games.
2. Girl, Woman, Other (2019)
The Booker Prize-winning work is a vast and sweeping novel that follows the stories of 12 women, mostly black, in modern Britain. In a free and rhythmic style, the book explores identity, class and social belonging.
1. Mr. Loverman (2013)
A heartfelt and often humorous novel about Barrington, a 74-year-old man with a big secret: a decades-long love affair with his best friend. The book skillfully combines humor with emotion and is considered one of the author's most accomplished works.
Overall, Bernardine Evaristo's work is characterized by formal courage, social sensitivity, and a vibrant style that combines the ordinary with the poetic. /GazetaExpress/
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