Bernardine Evaristo, The Radical Reasoner Who Rewrote British Literary History

A profile of Bernardine Evaristo: an activist, author of many novels and winner of the Booker Prize and other prestigious awards.

Bernardine Anne Mobolaji Evaristo is not just a writer, she is a revolution in motion. Born on May 28, 1959, in Eltham, London, she marked her name in the annals of literary history in 2019 as the first black woman and black British person to win the prestigious Booker Prize. Beyond the awards lies a powerful story of heritage, determination, advocacy, and unrelenting creativity. 

Raised in Woolwich as the fourth of eight children, Evaristo’s world was shaped by the rich cultural mix of both parents. Her mother, Jacqueline Brinkworth, was of English, Irish, and German descent and worked as a schoolteacher. Her father, Julius Taiwo Bayomi Evaristo, a Nigerian immigrant, made history as the first Black councillor in the Borough of Greenwich. From a young age, storytelling and performance captured her imagination. At just 12, she joined the Greenwich Young People's Theatre. This early exposure propelled her to study drama at Rose Bruford College, graduating in 1982. Decades later, her academic journey would come full circle when she earned a doctorate in creative writing from Goldsmiths, University of London, in 2013.

Evaristo's work is renowned for its original narrative styles and its focus on the African diaspora, feminism, and intersectionality. Her work is celebrated for its innovative form, often merging verse and prose in what she describes as “fusion fiction.” Her semi-autobiographical debut novel-in-verse, Lara (1997), explores identity and heritage through lyrical storytelling. Works like The Emperor’s Babe (2001) and Blonde Roots (2008) showcase her talent for reframing history through a bold and imaginative lens. Her 2013 novel, Mr Loverman, broke barriers by spotlighting a 74-year-old Caribbean man navigating his hidden sexuality. But it was Girl, Woman, Other (2019)—a chronicle of twelve interconnected lives of Black British women and non-binary individuals—that propelled her to international acclaim and literary immortality. She made history as the first Black woman and Black British author to win the Booker Prize for her novel Girl, Woman, Other, which also won two British Book Awards, including Author of the Year. 

Evaristo’s mission extends far beyond the page. In the 1980s, she co-founded the Theatre of Black Women, the first of its kind in Britain. Her legacy of advocacy continues through initiatives like the Brunel International African Poetry Prize (now renamed in her honour) and The Complete Works, a landmark mentoring scheme that nurtured poets of colour across the UK.

In 2021, she was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. In 2022, she became the first Black President of the Royal Society of Literature, a role she continues to use to advocate for greater diversity in the arts. Evaristo also holds honorary degrees from over 20 universities and has been shortlisted for several major literary prizes, including the Goldsmiths and Jhalak Prizes. In 2024, she launched the RSL Scriptorium Awards, providing residencies to emerging UK writers and further cementing her commitment to nurturing underrepresented talent.

Reflecting on her personal and artistic evolution, Evaristo describes her journey from a “raging ranter” in her youth to a “radical reasoner”—a shift that speaks to her embrace of thoughtful, strategic advocacy. Inspired by literary giants like Audre Lorde, Ntozake Shange, and Derek Walcott, she has carved out a voice that is boldly and unmistakably her own. 

Asides writing and activism, Evaristo shares her life with writer and academic David Shannon. Though they do not have children, their union is filled with a shared passion for ideas, creativity, and cultural expression mirroring the very essence of her life’s work.