Bernardine Evaristo

Bernardine Evaristo’s six books of fiction and verse-fiction are: Hello Mum (Penguin 2010), Lara (Bloodaxe 2009), Blonde Roots (Penguin 2008), Soul Tourists (Penguin 2005), The Emperor’s Babe (Penguin 2001), Island of Abraham (Peepal Tree, 1994).

She co-edited the anthology Ten: new black and Asian poets (Bloodaxe 2010); Wasafiri: Black Britain-Beyond Definition (Routledge 2010); and the British Council anthology NW15 (Granta 2007). She reviews books for the Guardian, Times, Independent and Financial Times and has written fiction and drama for BBC radio.

Her awards and honours include an MBE in 2009; 12 ‘Book of the Year’ selections in British newspapers; several literary awards; and she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of  Literature in 2004 and of the Royal Society of Arts in 2006. She has also judged several literary prizes.

She has taught creative writing widely since 1994 including at the University of East Anglia (UEA) as Writing Fellow in 2002, and again in 2011-2012 to design and teach the inaugural six month beginner fiction course for ‘UEA-Guardian Masterclasses’. Since 1997 she has undertaken over seventy-five international tours as a writer giving talks, readings, courses and workshops. These include visiting professorships/writer residencies at several US universities including Barnard College and Georgetown University, and in South Africa and Germany. She has also taught courses for the British Council in Saudi Arabia, Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Research Overview

Bernardine’s literature has fused history with the contemporary, explored the relationship between Britain, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the African Diaspora, and negotiated the boundaries of form, fusing fiction and poetry with (in Soul Tourists) more experimental techniques.

This is manifested thus:
In her satirical novel Blonde Roots she invented a parallel universe where Africans enslave Europeans.

Her polyvocal verse-novel Lara is based on 150 years of her family history spanning England, Nigeria, Ireland, Germany and Brazil.

The Emperor’s Babe is a verse novel about a black girl in Roman London 1800 years ago - made  both historical and contemporary through anachronism.

Soul Tourists explores a modern-day couple travelling across Europe and the appearance of  European ghosts of colour going back to Hannibal 2500 years ago.

Her novella Hello Mum gives voice to a 14 yr old London boy who gets involved in gang life on a London estate.  

Teaching Activity

Bernardine was appointed Reader in Creative Writing in September 2011 to teach Creative Writing at BA, MA and PhD level. She welcomes PhD queries.

Awards & Honours

2010     Hurston/Wright Legacy Award (shortlist) (USA)

2010     Poetry Book Society Special Commendation
2009     International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (nominated)  

2009     The Big Red Read Award: fiction & overall winner
2009     Awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List
2009     Orange Prize Youth Panel Award
2009     Orange Prize for Fiction (longlist)
2006     Made a Fellow, Royal Society of Arts

2004     Elected a Fellow, Royal Society of Literature

2003     NESTA Fellowship Award 

2000     Arts Council Writers Award
1999     EMMA Best Book Award

Chosen as 12 ‘Book of the Year’ selections in UK newspapers and magazines.

Awards Judge
2012 Judge of Poetry News Competition, the Poetry Society
2012 Chair of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize

2011  Peacock Poetry Prize (Brighton Festival)

2010 TS Eliot Prize (Poetry)

2010 Alfred Fagan Award (Black plays)

2010 Orange Award for New Writers (Women’s fiction)

2009 Muslim Writers Awards with Penguin Publishers (Fiction)

2008 Decibel Penguin Prize (Fiction)

2007 Northern Rock Writers’ Award  (Fiction & Poetry)

2006 The National Poetry Competition

2004 The Poetry Book Society’s ‘Next Generation’

1997 Ian St. James’ Award (Fiction)

Boards
Bernardine has been a board member/literature advisor for many national organisations Including The Poetry of Society of Great Britain (Chair 2003), British Council, Society of Authors, London Arts Board and Black Mime Theatre.


Advocacy
From 1995-1999 Bernardine was a founding Director of Spread the Word literature development agency where she organised workshops, courses, seminars, conferences and public author readings and events.
In 2005 she initiated Free Verse (2006), a report into the lack of publishing opportunities for poets of colour in the UK, commissioned by Arts Council London and produced by Spread the Word. The report revealed that under 1% of poetry books published in the UK were by black or Asian poets.

She subsequently initiated a two year mentoring programme with Spread the Word called The Complete Works, to develop the skills of ten black and Asian poets. These ten poets were mentored by ten of Britain’s top poets to focus on the craft, range, complexity and depth of their poetry on the page. The scheme ran from 2008-2010 and the mentees are already getting published in Britain’s leading poetry publications such as Poetry Review. A second scheme is in development.

Publications

Journal Papers

(2008) Evaristo, B., CSI Europe African trace elements. Fragments. Reconstruction. Case histories. Motive. Personal, WASAFIRI 23 (4) : 2- 7

Books

(2010) Evaristo, B., Hello Mum. Penguin

(2009) Evaristo, B., Lara. Bloodaxe Books

(2008) Evaristo, B., Blonde Roots. Penguin

(2005) Evaristo, B., Soul Tourists. Penguin

(2001) Evaristo, B., The Emperor's Babe. Penguin

(1994) Evaristo, B., Island of Abraham. Peepal Tree Press