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Manifest
Nigdy nie chodziłam na terapię, bo lubię żyć z własnymi demonami. Lubię sama rozwiązywać pewne sprawy i myślę, że ta książka to właśnie taki potężny autowywiad.
W 2019 roku Bernardine Evaristo została pierwszą w historii czarną kobietą, która zdobyła Nagrodę Bookera za brawurową powieść Dziewczyna, kobieta, inna, a teraz powraca z intymną i szczerą opowieścią o tym, jak tego dokonała.
Urodziła się jako czwarta z ośmiorga dzieci ze związku Brytyjki i Nigeryjczyka. W wieku osiemnastu lat opuściła rodzinny dom, aby szukać własnego miejsca w świecie. Od tego momentu całe swoje życie oraz decyzje, które podejmowała, podporządkowała twórczości. Pisarstwo stało się jej domem na stałe. Dziś mówi o sobie, że czuje się niepowstrzymana.
W ѲԾڱś Evaristo przygląda się swojemu dziedzictwu i latom dzieciństwa. Analizuje styl życia i relacje z innymi. Zgłębia genezę i naturę własnej kreatywności oraz działalności aktywistycznej.
To książka dla każdego, kto kiedykolwiek czuł się wykluczony lub znalazł się na marginesie, i dla każdego, kto chce zostawić po sobie ślad na ziemi. To manifest nieustraszoności.
W 2019 roku Bernardine Evaristo została pierwszą w historii czarną kobietą, która zdobyła Nagrodę Bookera za brawurową powieść Dziewczyna, kobieta, inna, a teraz powraca z intymną i szczerą opowieścią o tym, jak tego dokonała.
Urodziła się jako czwarta z ośmiorga dzieci ze związku Brytyjki i Nigeryjczyka. W wieku osiemnastu lat opuściła rodzinny dom, aby szukać własnego miejsca w świecie. Od tego momentu całe swoje życie oraz decyzje, które podejmowała, podporządkowała twórczości. Pisarstwo stało się jej domem na stałe. Dziś mówi o sobie, że czuje się niepowstrzymana.
W ѲԾڱś Evaristo przygląda się swojemu dziedzictwu i latom dzieciństwa. Analizuje styl życia i relacje z innymi. Zgłębia genezę i naturę własnej kreatywności oraz działalności aktywistycznej.
To książka dla każdego, kto kiedykolwiek czuł się wykluczony lub znalazł się na marginesie, i dla każdego, kto chce zostawić po sobie ślad na ziemi. To manifest nieustraszoności.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published October 7, 2021
334 people are currently reading
9,557 people want to read
About the author
Bernardine Evaristo
70books5,063followersBernardine Evaristo is the Anglo-Nigerian award-winning author of several books of fiction and verse fiction that explore aspects of the African diaspora: past, present, real, imagined. Her novel Girl, Woman, Other won the Booker Prize in 2019. Her writing also spans short fiction, reviews, essays, drama and writing for BBC radio. She is Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University, London, and Vice Chair of the Royal Society of Literature. She was made an MBE in 2009. As a literary activist for inclusion Bernardine has founded a number of successful initiatives, including Spread the Word writer development agency (1995-ongoing); the Complete Works mentoring scheme for poets of colour (2007-2017) and the Brunel International African Poetry Prize (2012-ongoing).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 709 reviews
March 15, 2022
At the end of December, I had in mind that I would invite Megan Stielstra over for a cup of coffee and some peach cobbler bread. We would talk about anything and everything under the sun. After finishing Manifesto on Never Giving Up, I’m switching things up a bit. Rather than a breakfast chat, a very small, intimate dinner party is in the works instead. Megan remains on the list of course, but now the invite has been extended to Bernardine Evaristo as well. Sorry friends, it’s just the three of us for now. A larger gathering will be planned in future once I’ve extracted every molecule of wisdom, wit, inspiration, and joy for life from these two remarkable women!
“I remember thinking that I didn’t want to live with regrets, to become a ‘what if� or ‘if only� person, who never took the risk of pursuing their dream.�
I had read Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other this past fall, and it turned out to be a favorite of 2021. So when my friend Pedro read and reviewed her memoir last year, I knew I had to get my hands on it as well. I had to wait a bit longer for the US publication date, but as soon as it appeared at my library, I snatched it right up! It turns out I owe Pedro a huge thank you, because this book was everything he said it was and everything I hoped it would be. It’s not simply a memoir. It’s a call to get up and make things happen in your life. It’s a testament to working hard, opening one’s mind, and to being resilient no matter what life throws at you. It’s about doing what you want to do, not what others would like to see you do. It’s about individuality triumphing over conformity, learning and mentoring, the creative spirit, and embracing change as it comes along.
“Essentially, I am grateful that I was not raised in a family where I had to fulfill my parents� ambitions for themselves through me, and that I was encouraged to become the architect of my own adult life.�
I have to admit that as a child I fell into the trap of trying to please a parent. A parent who had specific goals in mind for what my life should look like. (This is not an invite for trolls to lecture me on my faults! I'm fully aware of my past mistakes, as are most of us in one way or another.) Even now, while I am a mother of one grown son and one nearly adult daughter, this same parent has those same ideas of trying to shape not just my life but that of my children as well. And, as Evaristo says, this sort of behavior creates “unnecessary conflict�. I can say that I heartily agree with her. That is why I have always encouraged my children to go for what they wish for. It might look different than what I wanted for myself; it may be something uniquely his or her own. It may not be what a grandparent wishes, but I’ll be damned if anyone will stand in their way! I remember when my son first went off to college, one grandmother stated “But he’s not worldly enough to be on his own yet.� How does one become “worldly� without allowing him or her to experience the world?! It’s stifling, to say the least, when this sort of mentality persists in a family.
“I learned that no two people are the same and it was a lack of imagination to create them as such � all fictional characters need to be individuals� that homogenizing a gender or racialized group is a disservice to everyone’s humanity; that human beings of all races, genders and sexualities are complex and contradictory and capable of oppressing others, whether at governmental, communal, or personal level; and that we are all capable of morally questionable behavior.�
Naturally, Evaristo’s outlook on life and the world at large play a huge part in her skill as a writer. The way she looks at the world highly appeals to me, so it’s no surprise that I took to her writing immediately. The thing is, what she says makes complete sense. I ask myself why others can’t see quite as clearly. As the daughter of an English mother and a Nigerian father, she has always had to face the issue of racial identity. Her perspectives on the topic are intelligent and enlightening. Sexual identity is also explored, both through her own life experiences as well as through her characters. She champions diversity. Before she became well-known as a novelist, Evaristo was trained in theater. She was also a poet. The artistry of those worlds shines through in her craft as a writer.
“As a storyteller, I am continually drawn to understanding and conveying human psychology and to inhabiting the lives of my characters, feeling them from the inside, much as I had as an actor. My propensity as a novelist has been for first-person narratives, and for developing the ventriloquist skills necessary to bring them alive.�
I’ve gone on a bit too long about this brilliant, cool woman. You need to make your own acquaintance if you haven’t already. Not only is she intelligent and honest, she’s very down to earth. I’ve no doubt the dinner party will be full of laughter and easy conversation! I’m off to buy my own copy of this book. Although I was pleased that my library let me keep it for a short while, I need this sort of inspiration beside me at all times.
“Be wild, disobedient and daring with your creativity, take risks instead of following predictable routes; those who play it safe do not advance our culture or civilization.�
“I remember thinking that I didn’t want to live with regrets, to become a ‘what if� or ‘if only� person, who never took the risk of pursuing their dream.�
I had read Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other this past fall, and it turned out to be a favorite of 2021. So when my friend Pedro read and reviewed her memoir last year, I knew I had to get my hands on it as well. I had to wait a bit longer for the US publication date, but as soon as it appeared at my library, I snatched it right up! It turns out I owe Pedro a huge thank you, because this book was everything he said it was and everything I hoped it would be. It’s not simply a memoir. It’s a call to get up and make things happen in your life. It’s a testament to working hard, opening one’s mind, and to being resilient no matter what life throws at you. It’s about doing what you want to do, not what others would like to see you do. It’s about individuality triumphing over conformity, learning and mentoring, the creative spirit, and embracing change as it comes along.
“Essentially, I am grateful that I was not raised in a family where I had to fulfill my parents� ambitions for themselves through me, and that I was encouraged to become the architect of my own adult life.�
I have to admit that as a child I fell into the trap of trying to please a parent. A parent who had specific goals in mind for what my life should look like. (This is not an invite for trolls to lecture me on my faults! I'm fully aware of my past mistakes, as are most of us in one way or another.) Even now, while I am a mother of one grown son and one nearly adult daughter, this same parent has those same ideas of trying to shape not just my life but that of my children as well. And, as Evaristo says, this sort of behavior creates “unnecessary conflict�. I can say that I heartily agree with her. That is why I have always encouraged my children to go for what they wish for. It might look different than what I wanted for myself; it may be something uniquely his or her own. It may not be what a grandparent wishes, but I’ll be damned if anyone will stand in their way! I remember when my son first went off to college, one grandmother stated “But he’s not worldly enough to be on his own yet.� How does one become “worldly� without allowing him or her to experience the world?! It’s stifling, to say the least, when this sort of mentality persists in a family.
“I learned that no two people are the same and it was a lack of imagination to create them as such � all fictional characters need to be individuals� that homogenizing a gender or racialized group is a disservice to everyone’s humanity; that human beings of all races, genders and sexualities are complex and contradictory and capable of oppressing others, whether at governmental, communal, or personal level; and that we are all capable of morally questionable behavior.�
Naturally, Evaristo’s outlook on life and the world at large play a huge part in her skill as a writer. The way she looks at the world highly appeals to me, so it’s no surprise that I took to her writing immediately. The thing is, what she says makes complete sense. I ask myself why others can’t see quite as clearly. As the daughter of an English mother and a Nigerian father, she has always had to face the issue of racial identity. Her perspectives on the topic are intelligent and enlightening. Sexual identity is also explored, both through her own life experiences as well as through her characters. She champions diversity. Before she became well-known as a novelist, Evaristo was trained in theater. She was also a poet. The artistry of those worlds shines through in her craft as a writer.
“As a storyteller, I am continually drawn to understanding and conveying human psychology and to inhabiting the lives of my characters, feeling them from the inside, much as I had as an actor. My propensity as a novelist has been for first-person narratives, and for developing the ventriloquist skills necessary to bring them alive.�
I’ve gone on a bit too long about this brilliant, cool woman. You need to make your own acquaintance if you haven’t already. Not only is she intelligent and honest, she’s very down to earth. I’ve no doubt the dinner party will be full of laughter and easy conversation! I’m off to buy my own copy of this book. Although I was pleased that my library let me keep it for a short while, I need this sort of inspiration beside me at all times.
“Be wild, disobedient and daring with your creativity, take risks instead of following predictable routes; those who play it safe do not advance our culture or civilization.�
December 24, 2021
To not just read my review but see me talking about this book see the latest edition of this great Youtube interview series (I'm second up, around 9 minutes in):
A vibrant account about the background of the writer, her path through life, love, the publishing industry and society at large. Evaristo her voice is as captivating as ever and her message is both important and uplifting.
At nineteen I was already determined to lead an alternative live. Having grown up in an unconventional household, I learned to wear my outsider status with pride.
In 2019 Booker prize winner tells her personal tale. Her childhood, growing up in a family with 8 children and her the middle child, with a white mother and an authoritative father from Nigeria, encompasses the first chapter. We get to know that her Yoruba first name is Mobalaji, and how the values of her father, being a Labour councilor, and her mother who was a kindhearted schoolteacher, shaped her.
The 12 rooms home where she grew up made me think of the Weasley's Burrow, but the fact that the windows were often thrown in, make the image less idyllic. Class, racism and sexism permeate the book, for instance the razor sharp memory of a schoolmate coming to Bernardine gleefully with the statistic that 75% of the student body wouldn’t want to live besides a colored family.
About sowing her own clothes in the last classes of high school, making her a stand out appearance, she writes: Rather like the plays and books would someday write, I decided to create the things I convinced myself I needed to have in life.
Also endearing is her quoting from 55 year old school rapports, that already show her character clearly.
From a crowded home Bernardine moves out, struggling part time jobs and moving from decrepit home to attics till her forties (I wasn’t tied to a mortgage, but I was at the mercy of landlords). But also her real calling comes into the picture: Writing became a room of my own; writing became my permanent home.
Evaristo talks frankly about her love life (I had spent the relationship in longing, and I believed that to be in longing was to be in love), swinging from men to women to men again. The relationship she describes with the twice as old "the mental dominatrix" is familiar to anyone who read the first few chapters of .
The ending to this relationship was cathartic and empowering for the author nearing her thirties: There was no guilt because a violent person doesn’t deserve loyalty and How many times do we beat ourselves up when we’re the ones being treated unfairly?
Her writing kicks off with poetry, which I was unaware of. The description of the making process of her books makes me want to add all her work to my want to read, including I think hard to find , but excluding Soul Tourists that Evaristo describes in a very honest manner.
The importance of resilience and carving out one's own space is very clear from her story. As a positivity propagandist, Bernardine believes in manifesting once thoughts, thinking of the best possible outcome, and she recalls that when using this method with her first fiction novel that she dreamt of winning the Booker Prize already. Winning it at 60, with a catalogue of works to discover for readers is a treat.
Nowhere is this a gloom or preachy book, despite the struggle and heavy subjected interlaced with the career of Evaristo. Even a recent anecdote, of the writer being invited to an Ivy League college, including housing, leading to a cop standing at her door, since a published resident writer couldn’t be a black woman apparently, is brought with the characteristic Evaristo humor, while pointing out the absurdity of the situation.
I highly enjoyed this book and found it an inspiring read from one of the most distinct recent Booker Prize winners.
A vibrant account about the background of the writer, her path through life, love, the publishing industry and society at large. Evaristo her voice is as captivating as ever and her message is both important and uplifting.
At nineteen I was already determined to lead an alternative live. Having grown up in an unconventional household, I learned to wear my outsider status with pride.
In 2019 Booker prize winner tells her personal tale. Her childhood, growing up in a family with 8 children and her the middle child, with a white mother and an authoritative father from Nigeria, encompasses the first chapter. We get to know that her Yoruba first name is Mobalaji, and how the values of her father, being a Labour councilor, and her mother who was a kindhearted schoolteacher, shaped her.
The 12 rooms home where she grew up made me think of the Weasley's Burrow, but the fact that the windows were often thrown in, make the image less idyllic. Class, racism and sexism permeate the book, for instance the razor sharp memory of a schoolmate coming to Bernardine gleefully with the statistic that 75% of the student body wouldn’t want to live besides a colored family.
About sowing her own clothes in the last classes of high school, making her a stand out appearance, she writes: Rather like the plays and books would someday write, I decided to create the things I convinced myself I needed to have in life.
Also endearing is her quoting from 55 year old school rapports, that already show her character clearly.
From a crowded home Bernardine moves out, struggling part time jobs and moving from decrepit home to attics till her forties (I wasn’t tied to a mortgage, but I was at the mercy of landlords). But also her real calling comes into the picture: Writing became a room of my own; writing became my permanent home.
Evaristo talks frankly about her love life (I had spent the relationship in longing, and I believed that to be in longing was to be in love), swinging from men to women to men again. The relationship she describes with the twice as old "the mental dominatrix" is familiar to anyone who read the first few chapters of .
The ending to this relationship was cathartic and empowering for the author nearing her thirties: There was no guilt because a violent person doesn’t deserve loyalty and How many times do we beat ourselves up when we’re the ones being treated unfairly?
Her writing kicks off with poetry, which I was unaware of. The description of the making process of her books makes me want to add all her work to my want to read, including I think hard to find , but excluding Soul Tourists that Evaristo describes in a very honest manner.
The importance of resilience and carving out one's own space is very clear from her story. As a positivity propagandist, Bernardine believes in manifesting once thoughts, thinking of the best possible outcome, and she recalls that when using this method with her first fiction novel that she dreamt of winning the Booker Prize already. Winning it at 60, with a catalogue of works to discover for readers is a treat.
Nowhere is this a gloom or preachy book, despite the struggle and heavy subjected interlaced with the career of Evaristo. Even a recent anecdote, of the writer being invited to an Ivy League college, including housing, leading to a cop standing at her door, since a published resident writer couldn’t be a black woman apparently, is brought with the characteristic Evaristo humor, while pointing out the absurdity of the situation.
I highly enjoyed this book and found it an inspiring read from one of the most distinct recent Booker Prize winners.
April 10, 2022
Just as good to listen to as it was to read.
All the stars for Ms. Evaristo.
An absolute joy to read.
Thank you, Ms. Evaristo: for both your candour and amazing and refreshing sense of humour. Oh, and also for the inspiration.
Yes, you made it: you became a Great Writer.
Consider me an all time fan anxiously waiting for your next book.
PS. You brought tears to my eyes and that’s not an easy feat.
All the stars for Ms. Evaristo.
An absolute joy to read.
Thank you, Ms. Evaristo: for both your candour and amazing and refreshing sense of humour. Oh, and also for the inspiration.
Yes, you made it: you became a Great Writer.
Consider me an all time fan anxiously waiting for your next book.
PS. You brought tears to my eyes and that’s not an easy feat.
May 27, 2022
❶ ❶ ❶ ❶ ❶ ❶
In Manifesto Bernardine Evaristo presents us with a retrospective of her life: from her childhood and family dynamics to discussing her love life and career. Her candid, often humorous, voice grabbed me from the get-go and I found myself speeding through Manifesto. Not only does Evaristo have a knack for bringing various episodes and periods from her past to life but she always pairs these with a piercing and thought-provoking social commentary.
Manifesto is divided into several sections, each one exploring a different aspect of Evaristo’s life. In the first one, ‘heritage, childhood, family, origins�, Evaristo recounts her experiences of growing up in England in the 60s with a white mother and a Nigerian father. She describes her early encounters with racism, from witnessing the discrimination aimed at her father to the racism she herself experienced at school and in her neighbourhood. Her mother’s side of the family was openly against Evaristo’s parents' union, some of them refusing to speak to any of them or treating them with open disdain. While Evaristo is critical of their behaviour she does take into account the social mores that people like her grandmother grew up with, and while she doesn’t condone or minimise their behaviour and actions she does acknowledge how hard it is to free oneself of such a deeply ingrained mindset.
In addition to discussing race and racism Evaristo looks at her relationship with her father, and once again demonstrates admirable self-awareness as she considers how when growing up she saw her father as a strict tyrant, whereas now she recognises that his parenting was simply reflective of a different culture. Additionally, she realises how alienating his life in England was (being more or less out-of-touch with his family, to being deemed a second-class citizen, an ‘undesirable�). Evaristo’s account of her father’s experiences in England highlights the racism and discrimination endured by the Windrush generation. I found her exploration of her relationship with her father to be deeply moving and this section, despite its subject matter, was easily my favourite in Manifesto.
In the following section, ‘houses, flats, rooms, homes�, Evaristo looks back to the various spaces she’s lived in since leaving her home. Many of the episodes she recounts are rather humorous, as they feature eccentric housemates & landlords as well as some bizarre living arrangements. This section reminded me of the tales my mother (who is a few years younger than evaristo) used to tell me about her odd living situations in London and Berlin when she was in her 20s. In describing the various rooms she’s lived in Evaristo considers the meaning of ‘home�.
In ‘the women and men who came and went� Evaristo gives us a glimpse into her romantic and sexual exploits. In detailing her various partners she speaks about her own sexuality and power dynamics within a relationship. Once again Evaristo demonstrates a great understanding of human behaviour and is unafraid of challenging her old views/ideas. While I loved how open Evaristo is in examining her sexuality and her past and present relationship, I was frustrated by her binary view of sexuality. On the one hand, she says that sexuality is a spectrum and yet she also compares her sexuality to a sandwich (my lesbian identity was the stuffing in a heterosexual sandwich) and speaks of having had a ‘lesbian period�. The thing is, saying that one had a ‘lesbian era� carries certain implications ( that this period is over, that it was a phase). After a particularly toxic relationship with an older woman Evaristo only actively seeks relationships with men, ‘rediscovering� them, so to speak. Which, fair enough...but that does negate her previous interest in women? Why only use labels such as straight and lesbian rather than queer, pan, bi (etc etc)? That Evaristo couples her lesbian era with her discovery of feminism and politics is even more...sus (as if it was simply an accessory in her counterculture outfit). FYI, I’m a lesbian and I’m not a fan of people saying that they have had lesbian periods or phases (or people assuming that my own sexuality is a phase and that i will inevitably 'revert' to heterosexuality). And given that Evaristo did initially speak of sexuality as a spectrum, well, it makes it even all the more disappointing that she would go on at length to talk about her queerness as an ‘era�. Still, even when discussing her sexuality Evaristo incorporates other issues & factors into the conversation (class, gender, race, politics, age) so that even this section (in spite of its somewhat dated view of sexuality) has an element of intersectionality.
In ‘drama, community, performance, politics� writes about theatre. While her love for theatre is apparent she’s once again able to be critical, in this case, she highlights how racist and sexist this particular sphere of the art was and still is (from the roles made available to poc to the few opportunities that woc have in comparison to their white, and often male, peers). Evaristo goes on to discuss performativity and rejection. In the fifth chapter, ‘poetry, fiction, verse fiction, fusion fiction�, Evaristo continues to consider her ever-evolving relationship with her creativity, this time focusing on her writing. She gives us a glimpse into the early stages of her writing and provides us with some insight into her creative process. The way Evaristo talks about her work made me want to read it, a great sign I believe. While she now and again expresses some criticism towards her earlier ideas and stories, you can tell how proud she is of what these have achieved. While her experimental style is not something I usually would go for, the way she discusses her ‘fusion� style is certainly inspiring and interesting. In ‘influences, sources, language, education� Evaristo talks about the books and authors that influenced her as a writer. She speaks about the importance of representation, of finding one’s voice, and of resilience (in face of rejection etc.). In the final chapter, ‘the self, ambition, transformation, activism� Evaristo discusses politics, the publishing industry and the academic world (both of which still are very white) and the various prizes and schemes she created or had a hand in creating that seek to elevate Black and Asian writers. There was one paragraph here that was a bit jarring as it starts with “The impact of Geroge Floyd’s murder in May 2020� and ends with “Many plans are afoot to open up. These are exciting times�.
We then have a concussion in which Evaristo gives us a quick recap of what we’ve so far read and briefly writes of the impact of having won the Booker Prize.
All in all, this was a solid piece of nonfiction. My favourite sections were the first one, which focuses on her childhood and family, and the second one. While I did appreciate the other chapters they at times had a textbook-like quality. I also got tired of frequent ‘back in those days� refrain (we get it, “there was no internet� back then) and at times she explained things that didn’t really necessitate an explanation (again, just because some of your readers are younger than you does not mean that they are ignorant of what came before them). But apart from her occasionally patronising asides, I did find her voice equal parts compelling and incisive. Her wry wit added a layer of enjoyment to my reading experience. This is a work I would certainly recommend to my fellow book lovers, especially those who loved Evaristo’s fiction. I liked Manifesto so much that I have decided to give her Girl, Woman, Other another go (fingers crossed).
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
“I am first and foremost a writer, the written word is how I process everything—myself, life, society, history, politics. It’s not just a job or a passion, but it is at the very heart of how I exist in the world, and I am addicted to the adventure of storytelling as my most powerful means of communication.�
In Manifesto Bernardine Evaristo presents us with a retrospective of her life: from her childhood and family dynamics to discussing her love life and career. Her candid, often humorous, voice grabbed me from the get-go and I found myself speeding through Manifesto. Not only does Evaristo have a knack for bringing various episodes and periods from her past to life but she always pairs these with a piercing and thought-provoking social commentary.
“You feel hated, even though you have done nothing to deserve it, and so you think there is something wrong with you, rather than something wrong with them.�
Manifesto is divided into several sections, each one exploring a different aspect of Evaristo’s life. In the first one, ‘heritage, childhood, family, origins�, Evaristo recounts her experiences of growing up in England in the 60s with a white mother and a Nigerian father. She describes her early encounters with racism, from witnessing the discrimination aimed at her father to the racism she herself experienced at school and in her neighbourhood. Her mother’s side of the family was openly against Evaristo’s parents' union, some of them refusing to speak to any of them or treating them with open disdain. While Evaristo is critical of their behaviour she does take into account the social mores that people like her grandmother grew up with, and while she doesn’t condone or minimise their behaviour and actions she does acknowledge how hard it is to free oneself of such a deeply ingrained mindset.
“It was an early lesson for me as a child, witnessing how people who are victims of oppression can turn into oppressors themselves.�
In addition to discussing race and racism Evaristo looks at her relationship with her father, and once again demonstrates admirable self-awareness as she considers how when growing up she saw her father as a strict tyrant, whereas now she recognises that his parenting was simply reflective of a different culture. Additionally, she realises how alienating his life in England was (being more or less out-of-touch with his family, to being deemed a second-class citizen, an ‘undesirable�). Evaristo’s account of her father’s experiences in England highlights the racism and discrimination endured by the Windrush generation. I found her exploration of her relationship with her father to be deeply moving and this section, despite its subject matter, was easily my favourite in Manifesto.
In the following section, ‘houses, flats, rooms, homes�, Evaristo looks back to the various spaces she’s lived in since leaving her home. Many of the episodes she recounts are rather humorous, as they feature eccentric housemates & landlords as well as some bizarre living arrangements. This section reminded me of the tales my mother (who is a few years younger than evaristo) used to tell me about her odd living situations in London and Berlin when she was in her 20s. In describing the various rooms she’s lived in Evaristo considers the meaning of ‘home�.
“Writing became a room of my own; writing became my permanent home.�
In ‘the women and men who came and went� Evaristo gives us a glimpse into her romantic and sexual exploits. In detailing her various partners she speaks about her own sexuality and power dynamics within a relationship. Once again Evaristo demonstrates a great understanding of human behaviour and is unafraid of challenging her old views/ideas. While I loved how open Evaristo is in examining her sexuality and her past and present relationship, I was frustrated by her binary view of sexuality. On the one hand, she says that sexuality is a spectrum and yet she also compares her sexuality to a sandwich (my lesbian identity was the stuffing in a heterosexual sandwich) and speaks of having had a ‘lesbian period�. The thing is, saying that one had a ‘lesbian era� carries certain implications ( that this period is over, that it was a phase). After a particularly toxic relationship with an older woman Evaristo only actively seeks relationships with men, ‘rediscovering� them, so to speak. Which, fair enough...but that does negate her previous interest in women? Why only use labels such as straight and lesbian rather than queer, pan, bi (etc etc)? That Evaristo couples her lesbian era with her discovery of feminism and politics is even more...sus (as if it was simply an accessory in her counterculture outfit). FYI, I’m a lesbian and I’m not a fan of people saying that they have had lesbian periods or phases (or people assuming that my own sexuality is a phase and that i will inevitably 'revert' to heterosexuality). And given that Evaristo did initially speak of sexuality as a spectrum, well, it makes it even all the more disappointing that she would go on at length to talk about her queerness as an ‘era�. Still, even when discussing her sexuality Evaristo incorporates other issues & factors into the conversation (class, gender, race, politics, age) so that even this section (in spite of its somewhat dated view of sexuality) has an element of intersectionality.
In ‘drama, community, performance, politics� writes about theatre. While her love for theatre is apparent she’s once again able to be critical, in this case, she highlights how racist and sexist this particular sphere of the art was and still is (from the roles made available to poc to the few opportunities that woc have in comparison to their white, and often male, peers). Evaristo goes on to discuss performativity and rejection. In the fifth chapter, ‘poetry, fiction, verse fiction, fusion fiction�, Evaristo continues to consider her ever-evolving relationship with her creativity, this time focusing on her writing. She gives us a glimpse into the early stages of her writing and provides us with some insight into her creative process. The way Evaristo talks about her work made me want to read it, a great sign I believe. While she now and again expresses some criticism towards her earlier ideas and stories, you can tell how proud she is of what these have achieved. While her experimental style is not something I usually would go for, the way she discusses her ‘fusion� style is certainly inspiring and interesting. In ‘influences, sources, language, education� Evaristo talks about the books and authors that influenced her as a writer. She speaks about the importance of representation, of finding one’s voice, and of resilience (in face of rejection etc.). In the final chapter, ‘the self, ambition, transformation, activism� Evaristo discusses politics, the publishing industry and the academic world (both of which still are very white) and the various prizes and schemes she created or had a hand in creating that seek to elevate Black and Asian writers. There was one paragraph here that was a bit jarring as it starts with “The impact of Geroge Floyd’s murder in May 2020� and ends with “Many plans are afoot to open up. These are exciting times�.
We then have a concussion in which Evaristo gives us a quick recap of what we’ve so far read and briefly writes of the impact of having won the Booker Prize.
All in all, this was a solid piece of nonfiction. My favourite sections were the first one, which focuses on her childhood and family, and the second one. While I did appreciate the other chapters they at times had a textbook-like quality. I also got tired of frequent ‘back in those days� refrain (we get it, “there was no internet� back then) and at times she explained things that didn’t really necessitate an explanation (again, just because some of your readers are younger than you does not mean that they are ignorant of what came before them). But apart from her occasionally patronising asides, I did find her voice equal parts compelling and incisive. Her wry wit added a layer of enjoyment to my reading experience. This is a work I would certainly recommend to my fellow book lovers, especially those who loved Evaristo’s fiction. I liked Manifesto so much that I have decided to give her Girl, Woman, Other another go (fingers crossed).
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 2, 2024
EDIT: I met Bernardine Evaristo in June 2024.
This is a book that isn't exactly a memoir but more of a treatise effectuating the need for consistency, discipline and inspiration when it comes to a writing career. I figured it would be a prescient book to read while I'm going through my current state. In it we experience Evaristo's life and what she's learnt from it. This book is a journal.
Bernardine Evaristo for British GQ
Evaristo has split it into seven consumable parts:
Evaristo may be writing for a universal audience but I felt that she lacked the delicate balance that carries the nuance of her novels. In her "manifesto", Evaristo tells us wokeness 101,
This also happened after she had a most healthy relationship with a Dutch woman she refers to as eX, an out and proud artistic lesbian that was kind, creative and introspective. They shared letters that Evaristo opted not to share, a disappointing choice. After their relationship tapered off, due to the fickleness of youth, Evaristo ends up with the worst possible person. Even with all her feminist ideals and inner strength, she still ended up caught up in the rigmarole of making excuses for abusive partners. I related to this, not because I stayed in abusive relationships but because I didn't leave one that was bad for me for reasons that are hard to articulate. For Evaristo, she slowly reclaimed herself, a part of her spirit this woman failed to quash fought to escape from the thumb of the brute. She euphorically realises her freedom and healing when she sees the woman and she orders that Evaristo go where she's standing. This was rich and insightful and vulnerable. This is what I wanted to see more of. She does come to the conclusion that "people bad" not just "white men bad" after this relationship but I felt it was a bit unnecessary to spell out these thougths.
The book is stronger when it's a memoir than an extended essay. She also leaves out many details that could have made her story all the more impactful. When she won the 2019 Booker Prize, it was a controversy because her book Girl, Woman, Other was announced a joint winner with Margaret Atwood's The Testament. Evaristo does the same bland Go Women! commentary where she talks about how she and Atwood went up to receive their awards hand in hand and it was a great moment for the "sisterhood". Was it though?
Evaristo was the first Black woman to win the prize. This is ironic because the Booker prize was established by slave trade beneficiaries in 1969. Why does Evaristo not mention this? She's well-versed with the history of racism and the intertwined role colonialism plays in the perception and reception of Black art. In her final chapter, she shares how her activism informs her career. Since the 90s, Evaristo has worked to elevate overlooked Black creatives in Britain and later in Africa. Her program, , works to increase diversity and inclusivity in the British arts scene. And while aware of all this, why doesn't she mention the Booker's history? Why doesn't she mention the controversy of her having to share her prize with a white woman who is a repeat winner. Why doesn't she mention that the BBC still tried to overshadow her win by calling her the "other author" who jointly won with Atwood? I'm not saying that she had to lay bare and flay herself for my reading experience but I'd have appreciated a more insular than banal look at such a monumental event.
Seeing Evaristo grow up in 70s London is a time capsule I rarely encounter in media. Seeing how biracial people traversed through life was also eye-opening. It was also extremely rewarding to see how her Black and white histories intertwined and how belonging to two worlds can still make you feel unmoored. We just never get the full extent of how racist British people were back then. Europe does have a history of underplaying their homegrown racism while paying mute apologia their colonial histories. The US doesn't get to escape that scrutiny and has overwhelmed cultural discourse. But white British people have never faced a reckoning because they believe they're "not that bad". I'm the grandchild of someone who was enslaved by British plantation owners and I was still surprised by what Evaristo went through.
That kind of pulling of the curtain was far more meaningful and impactful than overwrought essays about the benefits of inclusion. I understand that there might be people who need to see this but it's hard to imagine the people picking up We Should Be Feminists for the first time are the same people reading this. I think the people who will read this already share similar mentalities to Evaristo. I do hope she considers writing a full on memoir.
I also expected more information about her writing process. She does share brief anecdotes about how she came about her novels like how she fictionalised her history for Lara and fused verse with poetry to succesfully finish Girl, Woman, Other but I'd have just liked to see more of the blood, sweat and tears. The most valuable part of the book, for me, was when she examined her feelings and showed how much she struggled when she started getting into publishing, how she did a lot of bootstrapping to market her earlier books. I was deeply inspired by how stubbornly Evaristo refused to settle,
Perhaps I'm trying to be that annoying little bitch Goldilocks but this book was just lacking more about the author, her family history, her dating and school life, her creative life, her tenure as a creative writing professor (this is barely mentioned, seriously) and contained too much of her B-roll feminism is actually equity essays. This book could have been so much richer for older dreamers who are still struggling to break the mould. Please Bernie, I want some more.
This is a book that isn't exactly a memoir but more of a treatise effectuating the need for consistency, discipline and inspiration when it comes to a writing career. I figured it would be a prescient book to read while I'm going through my current state. In it we experience Evaristo's life and what she's learnt from it. This book is a journal.
Bernardine Evaristo for British GQ
Evaristo has split it into seven consumable parts:
1, heritage, childhood, family, origins
2, houses, flats, rooms, homes
3, the women and men who came and went
4, drama, community, performance, politics
5, poetry, fiction, verse fiction, fusion fiction
6, influences, sources, langauge, education
7, the self, ambition, transformation, activism
conclusions.
Evaristo may be writing for a universal audience but I felt that she lacked the delicate balance that carries the nuance of her novels. In her "manifesto", Evaristo tells us wokeness 101,
I learned that no two people are the same and it was a lack of imagination to create them as such-all fictional characters need to be individuals; that the division of characters into goodies and baddies is a childish approach that should remain consigned to old-fashioned fairy tales, that homogenizing a gender or racialized group is a disservce to everyone's humanity; that human beings of all races, genders and sexualities are complex and contradictory and capable of oppressing others, whether at governmental, communal or personal level; and that we are all capable of morally questionable behaviour.Bernardine, I love you, but shut up. We all know this. But it's not applicable to all fiction. Sometimes we need a good old-fashioned good vs bad story. Plus those of us who would read your books would know the difference. I was more curious about one old lover she had, an older Black woman who turned out to be emotionally and physically abusive.
This also happened after she had a most healthy relationship with a Dutch woman she refers to as eX, an out and proud artistic lesbian that was kind, creative and introspective. They shared letters that Evaristo opted not to share, a disappointing choice. After their relationship tapered off, due to the fickleness of youth, Evaristo ends up with the worst possible person. Even with all her feminist ideals and inner strength, she still ended up caught up in the rigmarole of making excuses for abusive partners. I related to this, not because I stayed in abusive relationships but because I didn't leave one that was bad for me for reasons that are hard to articulate. For Evaristo, she slowly reclaimed herself, a part of her spirit this woman failed to quash fought to escape from the thumb of the brute. She euphorically realises her freedom and healing when she sees the woman and she orders that Evaristo go where she's standing. This was rich and insightful and vulnerable. This is what I wanted to see more of. She does come to the conclusion that "people bad" not just "white men bad" after this relationship but I felt it was a bit unnecessary to spell out these thougths.
The book is stronger when it's a memoir than an extended essay. She also leaves out many details that could have made her story all the more impactful. When she won the 2019 Booker Prize, it was a controversy because her book Girl, Woman, Other was announced a joint winner with Margaret Atwood's The Testament. Evaristo does the same bland Go Women! commentary where she talks about how she and Atwood went up to receive their awards hand in hand and it was a great moment for the "sisterhood". Was it though?
Evaristo was the first Black woman to win the prize. This is ironic because the Booker prize was established by slave trade beneficiaries in 1969. Why does Evaristo not mention this? She's well-versed with the history of racism and the intertwined role colonialism plays in the perception and reception of Black art. In her final chapter, she shares how her activism informs her career. Since the 90s, Evaristo has worked to elevate overlooked Black creatives in Britain and later in Africa. Her program, , works to increase diversity and inclusivity in the British arts scene. And while aware of all this, why doesn't she mention the Booker's history? Why doesn't she mention the controversy of her having to share her prize with a white woman who is a repeat winner. Why doesn't she mention that the BBC still tried to overshadow her win by calling her the "other author" who jointly won with Atwood? I'm not saying that she had to lay bare and flay herself for my reading experience but I'd have appreciated a more insular than banal look at such a monumental event.
Seeing Evaristo grow up in 70s London is a time capsule I rarely encounter in media. Seeing how biracial people traversed through life was also eye-opening. It was also extremely rewarding to see how her Black and white histories intertwined and how belonging to two worlds can still make you feel unmoored. We just never get the full extent of how racist British people were back then. Europe does have a history of underplaying their homegrown racism while paying mute apologia their colonial histories. The US doesn't get to escape that scrutiny and has overwhelmed cultural discourse. But white British people have never faced a reckoning because they believe they're "not that bad". I'm the grandchild of someone who was enslaved by British plantation owners and I was still surprised by what Evaristo went through.
That kind of pulling of the curtain was far more meaningful and impactful than overwrought essays about the benefits of inclusion. I understand that there might be people who need to see this but it's hard to imagine the people picking up We Should Be Feminists for the first time are the same people reading this. I think the people who will read this already share similar mentalities to Evaristo. I do hope she considers writing a full on memoir.
I also expected more information about her writing process. She does share brief anecdotes about how she came about her novels like how she fictionalised her history for Lara and fused verse with poetry to succesfully finish Girl, Woman, Other but I'd have just liked to see more of the blood, sweat and tears. The most valuable part of the book, for me, was when she examined her feelings and showed how much she struggled when she started getting into publishing, how she did a lot of bootstrapping to market her earlier books. I was deeply inspired by how stubbornly Evaristo refused to settle,
As my resolve deepened over the decades, I was never prepared to settle for less than I desired. A writer once told me that water finds its own level and she'd found hers, which in real terms means that she always expects low sales for her books and accepts them as her fate. I could never be so resigned. I had trained my mind to expect the best my profession had to offer, even when it didn't happen.She goes on to share how this could have ended up happening sooner if she wrote more commercial fiction but stayed true to her literary poetry roots. This is what I want.
Perhaps I'm trying to be that annoying little bitch Goldilocks but this book was just lacking more about the author, her family history, her dating and school life, her creative life, her tenure as a creative writing professor (this is barely mentioned, seriously) and contained too much of her B-roll feminism is actually equity essays. This book could have been so much richer for older dreamers who are still struggling to break the mould. Please Bernie, I want some more.
October 4, 2022
"There is a manifesto in each one of us, emerging over the course of our lives, changing & reconfiguring through our experiences."
Life is a minefield. A game of chance. As I have pondered in other reviews, the lottery is that you can be born anywhere to anyone. How much does this define you? How do you deal with the cards you’ve been dealt, and how much are you willing to reshuffle the deck�
Bernardine Evaristo’s bio is filled with warmth, candour and wit. I would so love to have a vino or two with her!
The middle child of a family of eight, with an unconventional English Mum and strict Nigerian Dad, from an early age Bernardine knew she was different. In their London neighbourhood, her family were unique. From the start, it was clear her life was going to be anything but boring. The overt bigotry from her childhood is eye watering to read about, and shows how strange we are to base assumptions about people based on the colour of their skin.
� I learned to wear my outsider status with pride."
Her love of language started as a young bookworm. Books were both an escape from the clamour of a busy household, and also as a way to discover new worlds.
Her 2019 Booker prize winning Girl, Woman, Other brought her to the attention of the reading public at large, after many years of hard work and several books already published. As she jokingly says, her “overnight success� took forty years to transpire. She captures the moment when her name was announced as co-recipient of the prize so beautifully, how she and Margaret Attwood held hands to accept their awards together. It’s just stunning.
�...two women, two races, two nations, two generations - two members of the human race - and then we ascended the stage hand-in-hand to rapturous applause. It was a landmark historic moment for literature and for the sisterhood.�.
Girl, Woman, Other was unique in that the writing style was freeform, with few commas or fullstops. Think a modern day - female - Kerouac. Just letting the words flow, and the story be told without the hindrance of writing “rules�, whilst not losing any of the urgency of the storytelling.
Something I found fascinating, and was a huge compliment to Ms.Evaristo, was a dyslexic reader told her she found Girl, Woman, Other a breeze to read. She was able to focus completely on the storyline, as the lack of traditional punctuation meant she was enjoying what she was reading, rather than being tripped up by grammar. How beautiful is that?
”I’m more interested in writing interesting sentences than grammatically perfect or beautifully understated ones…�
There’s talk here about not only how people from diverse cultural backgrounds feel different levels of comfort in the world, but how men and women live in a very different space. That being security conscious is second nature for women, especially living in a big city, whereas men tend to take for granted where they are going and when.
”Men and women live in the same world, but we experience it so differently.�
This book covers class, feminism, sexuality and ageism. Ms. Evaristo doesn’t shy away from any topic, and is frank with her feelings.
What I take most from this book is resilience. That it’s inner strength that gets you through life. It doesn’t mean that you don’t get hurt or bleed, cry torrents or howl at the Moon. But it means that you do all these things, and dust yourself off and start again. As many times as it takes. You make mistakes. Then make more. You shed skins and grow new ones. You evolve and keep going.
”I believe that as we progress through our lives, when things don’t work out when we want them to, it simply leads us to the next stage, and the one after that..�
Seriously inspiring. Read it. Create your own manifesto.
”Be wild, disobedient and daring with your creativity, take risks instead of following predictable routes; those who play it safe do not advance our culture or civilization.�
Life is a minefield. A game of chance. As I have pondered in other reviews, the lottery is that you can be born anywhere to anyone. How much does this define you? How do you deal with the cards you’ve been dealt, and how much are you willing to reshuffle the deck�
Bernardine Evaristo’s bio is filled with warmth, candour and wit. I would so love to have a vino or two with her!
The middle child of a family of eight, with an unconventional English Mum and strict Nigerian Dad, from an early age Bernardine knew she was different. In their London neighbourhood, her family were unique. From the start, it was clear her life was going to be anything but boring. The overt bigotry from her childhood is eye watering to read about, and shows how strange we are to base assumptions about people based on the colour of their skin.
� I learned to wear my outsider status with pride."
Her love of language started as a young bookworm. Books were both an escape from the clamour of a busy household, and also as a way to discover new worlds.
Her 2019 Booker prize winning Girl, Woman, Other brought her to the attention of the reading public at large, after many years of hard work and several books already published. As she jokingly says, her “overnight success� took forty years to transpire. She captures the moment when her name was announced as co-recipient of the prize so beautifully, how she and Margaret Attwood held hands to accept their awards together. It’s just stunning.
�...two women, two races, two nations, two generations - two members of the human race - and then we ascended the stage hand-in-hand to rapturous applause. It was a landmark historic moment for literature and for the sisterhood.�.
Girl, Woman, Other was unique in that the writing style was freeform, with few commas or fullstops. Think a modern day - female - Kerouac. Just letting the words flow, and the story be told without the hindrance of writing “rules�, whilst not losing any of the urgency of the storytelling.
Something I found fascinating, and was a huge compliment to Ms.Evaristo, was a dyslexic reader told her she found Girl, Woman, Other a breeze to read. She was able to focus completely on the storyline, as the lack of traditional punctuation meant she was enjoying what she was reading, rather than being tripped up by grammar. How beautiful is that?
”I’m more interested in writing interesting sentences than grammatically perfect or beautifully understated ones…�
There’s talk here about not only how people from diverse cultural backgrounds feel different levels of comfort in the world, but how men and women live in a very different space. That being security conscious is second nature for women, especially living in a big city, whereas men tend to take for granted where they are going and when.
”Men and women live in the same world, but we experience it so differently.�
This book covers class, feminism, sexuality and ageism. Ms. Evaristo doesn’t shy away from any topic, and is frank with her feelings.
What I take most from this book is resilience. That it’s inner strength that gets you through life. It doesn’t mean that you don’t get hurt or bleed, cry torrents or howl at the Moon. But it means that you do all these things, and dust yourself off and start again. As many times as it takes. You make mistakes. Then make more. You shed skins and grow new ones. You evolve and keep going.
”I believe that as we progress through our lives, when things don’t work out when we want them to, it simply leads us to the next stage, and the one after that..�
Seriously inspiring. Read it. Create your own manifesto.
”Be wild, disobedient and daring with your creativity, take risks instead of following predictable routes; those who play it safe do not advance our culture or civilization.�
October 24, 2021
It was such a thrill to be at on the historic night of Bernardine Evaristo's Booker Prize win for her novel . At the time I was a great admirer of the book and was aware of her reputation, but I had no idea how many years of hard graft and dedication the author had devoted to reaching this point. Now, reading her memoir “Manifesto�, I also have such an admiration for this creative individual who has fused her experience and imagination to produce a body of literary works which artistically reflect the breadth of our culture and celebrate individuality in all its wondrous forms.
In concise sections Evaristo lays out how she got to this point by describing her diverse family background, the places she's lived, the relationships she's had, the community and politics she's engaged in, the development of her distinct form of fiction, the writers and figures who've inspired her and the ambition to persist as a creative person. She describes her experience with such charm, wit and wisdom it's extremely enjoyable to read. Evaristo wholly embraced the platform which winning the Booker Prize gave her and I've been in awe seeing how busy she has been chairing this year's Women's Prize, speaking on panels, providing endorsements for books and curating the 'Black Britain, Writing Back' series which included the excellent novel “Bernard and the Cloth Monkey� which I read earlier this year. This memoir is subtitled 'On Never Giving Up' and the book is really a wonderful testament to how the creative individual must persist and express themselves no matter what hardships are encountered.
Read my full
In concise sections Evaristo lays out how she got to this point by describing her diverse family background, the places she's lived, the relationships she's had, the community and politics she's engaged in, the development of her distinct form of fiction, the writers and figures who've inspired her and the ambition to persist as a creative person. She describes her experience with such charm, wit and wisdom it's extremely enjoyable to read. Evaristo wholly embraced the platform which winning the Booker Prize gave her and I've been in awe seeing how busy she has been chairing this year's Women's Prize, speaking on panels, providing endorsements for books and curating the 'Black Britain, Writing Back' series which included the excellent novel “Bernard and the Cloth Monkey� which I read earlier this year. This memoir is subtitled 'On Never Giving Up' and the book is really a wonderful testament to how the creative individual must persist and express themselves no matter what hardships are encountered.
Read my full
October 12, 2021
an incredible memoir detailing evaristo’s childhood (specifically growing up in a mixed race family in london during the 60s/70s), love life, years as a theatre student and her life-long journey as a writer, all the way up to her winning the 2019 Booker Prize for the equally incredible book , making her the first black British person and first black woman to do so. as evaristo recounts her life, her grit and determination as a writer really shines through, and that combined with her work ethic and her activism is definitely something to be admired. i thought this memoir was incredibly inspiring, moving, witty, and i simply just really enjoyed my time reading it and getting a deeper look into how evaristo produces her art. i definitely recommend this, and i’m looking forward to reading more of evaristo’s fiction soon.
thank you penguin uk for the #gifted copy!
thank you penguin uk for the #gifted copy!
August 6, 2022
I have read two of Evaristo's novels and loved them both so was curious about this memoir about her life as an artist and activist. The book was a pleasure to read - it would be especially useful for those who are trying to break into the writing world.
February 2, 2022
"In jeder und jedem von uns steckt ein Manifest, das im Lauf unseres Lebens zutage tritt, sich durch unsere Erfahrungen verändert & neu ordnet. Dies ist meins." - Bernardine Evaristo - "Manifesto: Warum ich niemals aufgebe"
Weiblich gelesen, Schwarz, arm, lesbisch und kreativschaffend - all diese Beschreibungen treffen auf Bernardine Evaristo zu. Eine explosive Mischung, durch die sie immer wieder Rassismus, Sexismus und Klassismus ausgesetzt war und ist. Bernardine Evaristo hat sich davon aber nie einschüchtern lassen, vielmehr hat sie es geschafft, ihren eigenen Weg zu finden und ihn allen Widerständen zum Trotz unbeirrt weiterzugehen. In ihrem Buch "Manifesto: Warum ich niemals aufgebe", aus dem Englischen übersetzt von Tanja Handels, nimmt die Autorin die Lesenden auf genau diesem Weg mit - und zeigt mit jeder Seite mehr, was für eine außergewöhnliche und bewundernswerte Persönlichkeit sie ist!
In Themen aufgeteilt erzählt Bernardine Evaristo von ihrem bewegten Leben, sie berichtet von ihrer Kindheit im ärmlichen Süden Londons, von ihren Eltern und ihren nigerianischen Wurzeln, von ihren verschiedenen Lieben, ihrer Zeit im Theater und schließlich ihrem schriftstellerischen Wirken und ihrem Aktivismus, vor allem für Schwarze Autor*innen. Ich habe jede Seite dieses Manifests genossen und habe Evaristos Werdegang als sehr inspirierend empfunden. Besonders interessant waren für mich ihre Ausführungen zu ihren lyrischen sowie prosaischen Werken - am liebsten hätte ich sie mir gleich alle auf die Wunschliste gepackt.
Bernardine Evaristo ist die erste Schwarze Frau, die den Booker-Preis gewonnen hat - das ist aber bei Weitem nicht das Faszinierendste an ihr und auch nicht ihr größter Erfolg. In meinen Augen liegt ihre bemerkenswerteste Errungenschaft in ihrem Verdienst für andere People of Color und weiblich gelesene Schreibende, aber auch Theaterschaffende. Ihr Manifest ist ermutigend und empowernd und war für mich der perfekte Einstieg in ihre schriftstellerischen Werke. Ich habe jetzt unglaublich große Lust, "Mädchen, Frau etc." zu lesen und hoffe, dass auch ihre anderen Bücher ins Deutsche übersetzt werden. Eine Autorin, die es zu entdecken lohnt!
Weiblich gelesen, Schwarz, arm, lesbisch und kreativschaffend - all diese Beschreibungen treffen auf Bernardine Evaristo zu. Eine explosive Mischung, durch die sie immer wieder Rassismus, Sexismus und Klassismus ausgesetzt war und ist. Bernardine Evaristo hat sich davon aber nie einschüchtern lassen, vielmehr hat sie es geschafft, ihren eigenen Weg zu finden und ihn allen Widerständen zum Trotz unbeirrt weiterzugehen. In ihrem Buch "Manifesto: Warum ich niemals aufgebe", aus dem Englischen übersetzt von Tanja Handels, nimmt die Autorin die Lesenden auf genau diesem Weg mit - und zeigt mit jeder Seite mehr, was für eine außergewöhnliche und bewundernswerte Persönlichkeit sie ist!
In Themen aufgeteilt erzählt Bernardine Evaristo von ihrem bewegten Leben, sie berichtet von ihrer Kindheit im ärmlichen Süden Londons, von ihren Eltern und ihren nigerianischen Wurzeln, von ihren verschiedenen Lieben, ihrer Zeit im Theater und schließlich ihrem schriftstellerischen Wirken und ihrem Aktivismus, vor allem für Schwarze Autor*innen. Ich habe jede Seite dieses Manifests genossen und habe Evaristos Werdegang als sehr inspirierend empfunden. Besonders interessant waren für mich ihre Ausführungen zu ihren lyrischen sowie prosaischen Werken - am liebsten hätte ich sie mir gleich alle auf die Wunschliste gepackt.
Bernardine Evaristo ist die erste Schwarze Frau, die den Booker-Preis gewonnen hat - das ist aber bei Weitem nicht das Faszinierendste an ihr und auch nicht ihr größter Erfolg. In meinen Augen liegt ihre bemerkenswerteste Errungenschaft in ihrem Verdienst für andere People of Color und weiblich gelesene Schreibende, aber auch Theaterschaffende. Ihr Manifest ist ermutigend und empowernd und war für mich der perfekte Einstieg in ihre schriftstellerischen Werke. Ich habe jetzt unglaublich große Lust, "Mädchen, Frau etc." zu lesen und hoffe, dass auch ihre anderen Bücher ins Deutsche übersetzt werden. Eine Autorin, die es zu entdecken lohnt!
October 21, 2021
BBC Listeners
April 19, 2024
Η αυτοβιογραφία της Bernardine Evaristo είναι ένα μανιφέστο για το θάρρος, την ακεραιότητα, την αισιοδοξία, την επινοητικότητα και την επιμονή. Είναι ένα μανιφέστο για όποιον έχει βρεθεί στο περιθώριο και όποιον θέλει να αφήσει το στίγμα του στην ιστορία. Είναι ένα μανιφέστο για το πώς να είσαι ασταμάτητος.
Η συγγραφέας αφηγείται μια καθηλωτική ιστορία για τη ζωή της και το πώς έφτασε εδώ που είναι τώρα. Μιλά για τη δύσκολη σχέση που είχε με τον αυστηρό πατέρα της και πώς αυτή άλλαξε με τον καιρό. Περιγράφει πώς ήταν να μεγαλώνει μέσα στην μοναδική οικογένεια έγχρωμων στην περιοχή της, όπου οι γείτονες ψιθύριζαν καθώς περνούσε και έσπαζαν τα παράθυρα του σπιτιού της. Ο ρατσισμός και οι κοινωνικές διακρίσεις την συνόδεψαν και στην ενηλικίωση, σε όλες της εκφάνσεις της ζωής της.
Συνεχίζει περιγράφοντας τις ερωτικές της περιπέτειες, τα χρόνια της ως φοιτήτριας θεάτρου και το συγγραφικό της ταξίδι μέχρι την απονομή του Βραβείου Booker 2019 για το υπέροχο "Κορίτσι, γυναίκα άλλο" , καθιστώντας τήν την πρώτη μαύρη γυναίκα που το καταφέρνει. Καθώς η Evaristo αφηγείται τη ζωή της, ο αναγνώστης δεν μπορεί παρά να θαυμάσει την αποφασιστικότητα, την εργασιακή ηθική και τον ακτιβισμό της.
Γενικά το να διαβάζει κανείς για έναν κόσμο έξω από τον δικό του (είτε πρόκειται για διαφορετικό τρόπο σκέψης είτε για διαφορετικό πολιτισμό), μόνο καλό μπορεί να του κάνει. Το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο πετυχαίνει να διευρύνει τους ορίζοντές μας, από τον καναπέ του σπιτιού μας. Αποτελεί την πιο γρήγορη και άμεση μορφή ταξιδιού.
Η συγγραφέας αφηγείται μια καθηλωτική ιστορία για τη ζωή της και το πώς έφτασε εδώ που είναι τώρα. Μιλά για τη δύσκολη σχέση που είχε με τον αυστηρό πατέρα της και πώς αυτή άλλαξε με τον καιρό. Περιγράφει πώς ήταν να μεγαλώνει μέσα στην μοναδική οικογένεια έγχρωμων στην περιοχή της, όπου οι γείτονες ψιθύριζαν καθώς περνούσε και έσπαζαν τα παράθυρα του σπιτιού της. Ο ρατσισμός και οι κοινωνικές διακρίσεις την συνόδεψαν και στην ενηλικίωση, σε όλες της εκφάνσεις της ζωής της.
Συνεχίζει περιγράφοντας τις ερωτικές της περιπέτειες, τα χρόνια της ως φοιτήτριας θεάτρου και το συγγραφικό της ταξίδι μέχρι την απονομή του Βραβείου Booker 2019 για το υπέροχο "Κορίτσι, γυναίκα άλλο" , καθιστώντας τήν την πρώτη μαύρη γυναίκα που το καταφέρνει. Καθώς η Evaristo αφηγείται τη ζωή της, ο αναγνώστης δεν μπορεί παρά να θαυμάσει την αποφασιστικότητα, την εργασιακή ηθική και τον ακτιβισμό της.
Γενικά το να διαβάζει κανείς για έναν κόσμο έξω από τον δικό του (είτε πρόκειται για διαφορετικό τρόπο σκέψης είτε για διαφορετικό πολιτισμό), μόνο καλό μπορεί να του κάνει. Το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο πετυχαίνει να διευρύνει τους ορίζοντές μας, από τον καναπέ του σπιτιού μας. Αποτελεί την πιο γρήγορη και άμεση μορφή ταξιδιού.
February 18, 2022
"Περιττό να πω σε αυτό το σημείο ότι είναι πραγματικά σημαντικό να κρατάς τα όνειρά σου για τον εαυτό σου, γιατί όταν μετακινηθείς στην περιοχή 'όραμα', πολλοί άνθρωποι θα σου επιβάλουν τα δικά τους όρια και είναι προτιμότερο να μην τους δίνεις την ευκαιρία. Πρέπει να προστατευόμαστε από τους απαισιόδοξους."
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"Πώς μπορεί η κουλτούρα να είναι ιδιοκτησία ενός οποιουδήποτε ανθρώπου ενώ βρίσκεται σε μια αέναη κατάσταση κίνησης και μεταμόρφωσης, διαπερατότητας και αντίδρασης στις παγκόσμιες επιρροές;"
Όταν μεγαλώσω θέλω να είμαι ένα άτομο τόσο συγκροτημένο όσο η Bernardine Evaristo - χωρίς καθόλου ψυχοθεραπεία μάλιστα (θα δούμε πώς θα πάει αυτό).
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"Πώς μπορεί η κουλτούρα να είναι ιδιοκτησία ενός οποιουδήποτε ανθρώπου ενώ βρίσκεται σε μια αέναη κατάσταση κίνησης και μεταμόρφωσης, διαπερατότητας και αντίδρασης στις παγκόσμιες επιρροές;"
Όταν μεγαλώσω θέλω να είμαι ένα άτομο τόσο συγκροτημένο όσο η Bernardine Evaristo - χωρίς καθόλου ψυχοθεραπεία μάλιστα (θα δούμε πώς θα πάει αυτό).
February 19, 2022
Was wir wissen, müssen wir an die nächste Generation weitergeben, & denen, die uns helfen, müssen wir unseren Dank aussprechen - kein Mensch kommt je allein ans Ziel.
Mir gefiel das Buch "Mädchen, Frau etc." so gut, dass ich dieses Buch sofort lesen wollte, als ich es gelesen habe. Es ist ein sehr persönliches, stolzes und starkes Buch über das Leben und die Überzeugungen der Autorin, Bernardine Evaristo. Nachdem ich dieses Buch gelesen habe, wurde mir auch erst bewusst, warum das Buch so reichhaltig und erzählerisch anders war. Das Buch ist extrem gut strukturiert und auch überzeugend in ihrer Aussage, dass man seinen Weg gehen sollte und u.a. Resilienz aufbauen muss. Sie versteckt sich nicht vor Kritik, zeigt ihren eigenen Humor und versucht Unterstützung zu geben an all jede, die noch mit sich selbst kämpfen. Meiner Meinung nach punktet das Buch am meisten mit Logik und sie versucht Tipps oder positive Ausblicke zu geben anhand ihrer eigenen biografischen (Fehl-) Entscheidungen. Ich bin selbst ein sehr logischer Mensch, daher hat mich das Buch bereichert und ermutigt.
** Dieses Buch wurde mir über NetGalley als E-Book zur Verfügung gestellt **
November 8, 2022
Nunca desistir. Tudo fazer por aquilo que lutamos, acreditamos e desejamos.
Que belo livro.
Que belo livro.
October 11, 2022
Spojrzenie dojrzałej kobiety, która dzięki swojej pasji i ciężkiej pracy została uhonorowana jedną z najbardziej znanych nagród literackich na świecie. Może rzucać trochę światła na odbiór jej dzieł-książka jest przeznaczona głównie dla fanów Evaristo, bo dużo jest tu odniesień do jej twórczości, ale myślę, że pozostali też wyniosą sporo z lektury. Inspirująca historia pisarki, która przeszła długą drogę, która pozwoliła jej osiągnąć sukces, życiowy i artystyczny.
January 28, 2023
Za mało mięsa. Liczyłam mocniej na literackie potyczki, które właśnie były najbardziej interesujące, więc ubolewam, że był im poświęcony naprawdę krótki fragment💔 oczywiście rozumiem, że doświadczenia autorki, też są bardzo istotne, bo to one zbudowały ją jako osobę oraz na nich wyraźnie opiera się jej twórczość i stąd tyle takich treści w tej książce. Myślę jednak, że nic Wam nie ucieknie, jeśli sobie ją odpuścicie.
January 12, 2022
3.5 stars. An interesting, matter of fact, mainly chronological memoir of the author’s first 61 years of life. The first third of the book is about her upbringing and covers similar issues to her semi autobiographical novel, ‘Lara�.
Born in London, with a white middle class mother and a black Nigerian, working class father. The author is one of eight children. Her parents divorced after being married for 33 years. The family was the only mixed race family where they lived. Bernardine left home at 18 and thereafter lived independently, always working. She had a number of relationships in her 20s, mainly with women. She met her husband, David Shannon, in 2006. She is a hard working achiever, who started her career as an actor who also wrote poems, then plays, before publishing novels. She has been active in black women’s rights, studied literature in her 40s and worked as a teacher.
Towards the end of the book she provides interesting comments on all her novels. (24 pages).
The writing style lacks the spark of her excellent novels, ‘Girl, Woman, Other� and Mr Loverman�.
The author was sixty years of age when she jointly won the 2019 Booker Prize.
This book was first published in 2021.
Born in London, with a white middle class mother and a black Nigerian, working class father. The author is one of eight children. Her parents divorced after being married for 33 years. The family was the only mixed race family where they lived. Bernardine left home at 18 and thereafter lived independently, always working. She had a number of relationships in her 20s, mainly with women. She met her husband, David Shannon, in 2006. She is a hard working achiever, who started her career as an actor who also wrote poems, then plays, before publishing novels. She has been active in black women’s rights, studied literature in her 40s and worked as a teacher.
Towards the end of the book she provides interesting comments on all her novels. (24 pages).
The writing style lacks the spark of her excellent novels, ‘Girl, Woman, Other� and Mr Loverman�.
The author was sixty years of age when she jointly won the 2019 Booker Prize.
This book was first published in 2021.
March 31, 2023
Τι να πω γι αυτή τη γυναίκα!;
Μεγάλωσε για να είναι ανεξάρτητη και δεν πιέστηκε να επιβεβαιώσει τα ''παραδοσιακά'' ιδανικά. Αυτό της έδωσε την ελευθερία να ανακαλύψει ποια πραγματικά ήταν. Ζει ως queer γυναίκα, ενώ ξεκινά και θέατρο, ζώντας μια δημιουργική ζωή. Ωστόσο, αρχίζει να γράφει ποίηση, μόνο για τον εαυτό της, ως τρόπο έκφρασης των βαθύτερων συναισθημάτων της. Η ζωή της αλλάζει μέσα στα χρόνια και μαθαίνει να προσαρμόζεται όπως της ταιριάζει εκείνης και όχι των άλλων.
Θαύμασα πολύ τον δυναμισμό της και ότι κυνηγούσε τα όνειρα της μέχρι τέλους, δεν περίμενε να έρθει εκ θαύματος..
Μεγάλωσε για να είναι ανεξάρτητη και δεν πιέστηκε να επιβεβαιώσει τα ''παραδοσιακά'' ιδανικά. Αυτό της έδωσε την ελευθερία να ανακαλύψει ποια πραγματικά ήταν. Ζει ως queer γυναίκα, ενώ ξεκινά και θέατρο, ζώντας μια δημιουργική ζωή. Ωστόσο, αρχίζει να γράφει ποίηση, μόνο για τον εαυτό της, ως τρόπο έκφρασης των βαθύτερων συναισθημάτων της. Η ζωή της αλλάζει μέσα στα χρόνια και μαθαίνει να προσαρμόζεται όπως της ταιριάζει εκείνης και όχι των άλλων.
Θαύμασα πολύ τον δυναμισμό της και ότι κυνηγούσε τα όνειρα της μέχρι τέλους, δεν περίμενε να έρθει εκ θαύματος..
September 25, 2021
I thought this book would be more about themes and ideas than Evaristo's own personal life.
This book reads more like a memoir than a 'series of essays' that is promised in the blurb. This isn't a problem, and I still enjoyed reading, but just surprising as I wasn't expecting it to be like that.
I didn't know Bernardine Evasristo had a background in theatre before reading, and I particularly enjoyed the chapters where she tells us of her experiences in the theatre world.
I wish the book had been more political or more radical in some of its themes. I feel like Evaristo hints at things, and changes she would like society to make in terms of racism and gender stereotyping, LGBTQ rights etc but she doesn't take this any further. I think hearing the title of 'manifesto' i expected to be more political.
Overall I did enjoy reading, and I definitely learnt a lot more about Evaristo's own life by reading - but it wasn't the radical book I was expecting.
This book reads more like a memoir than a 'series of essays' that is promised in the blurb. This isn't a problem, and I still enjoyed reading, but just surprising as I wasn't expecting it to be like that.
I didn't know Bernardine Evasristo had a background in theatre before reading, and I particularly enjoyed the chapters where she tells us of her experiences in the theatre world.
I wish the book had been more political or more radical in some of its themes. I feel like Evaristo hints at things, and changes she would like society to make in terms of racism and gender stereotyping, LGBTQ rights etc but she doesn't take this any further. I think hearing the title of 'manifesto' i expected to be more political.
Overall I did enjoy reading, and I definitely learnt a lot more about Evaristo's own life by reading - but it wasn't the radical book I was expecting.
February 8, 2022
Το Μανιφέστο της Bernardine Evaristo αποτελεί ένα memoir που έχει να κάνει με την καταγραφή μιας μαρτυρίας για το τί συνιστά να ζεις ως μιγάς σε μια λευκή και ρατσιστική κοινωνία, για τα όρια της δημιουργικότητας και του έρωτα καθώς και την αναγκαιότητα του ακτιβισμού. Η Evaristo αποτυπώνει σε λίγες σελίδες το χρονικό μιας πλούσιας ζωής σε εμπειρίες, σκέψεις, δημιουργία και μας προσκαλεί σε ένα κυμα αλληλοενδυνάμωσης μέσα από τη δική της ιστορία, η οποία δεν είναι άλλη από την ιστορία μιας γυναίκας που δεν σταμάτησε ποτέ να παλεύει και να διεκδικεί.
Η λεπτομερής και συνάμα πυκνή αυτοβιογραφια της Εβαρίστο μας επιτρέπει να τη γνωρίσουμε και να αναγνωρισουμε όλα εκείνα τα βιωματικά στοιχεία της ιδίας και των οικείων της προσώπων που έχει χρησιμοποιήσει ως πρωτογενές υλικό για το βιβλίο της "Κορίτσι, γυναίκα, άλλο". Διαβάζοντας το Μανιφέστο της, καταλαβαίνουμε πως μόνο τυχαία δεν ήταν η επιλογή των χαρακτήρων στη μυθοπλασία της και όλα τα πρόσωπα της ιστορίας φέρουν κάτι το προσωπικό της συγγραφέως. Άλλωστε, η ίδια αφιερώνει επαρκή χώρο και χρόνο στο παρόν βιβλίο για να εξηγήσει την αθέατη πλευρά του συνολικού συγγραφικού της έργου, που αναλύεται στην έμπνευση, το βίωμα, τις προσωπικές ιστορίες και το αστείρευτο ταλέντο.
Παρά τα πολλαπλά πεδία στα οποία εστιάζει, αυτό το memoir αποτελεί μια εκπληκτική μαρτυρία, η οποία μπορεί να αξιοποιηθεί κάλλιστα στις πολιτισμικές, εθνοτικές, μεταποικιακές σπουδές αλλά και στις σπουδές φύλου.
Η συγγραφέας θίγει εύστοχα τη σχετικότητα του χρώματος και της φυλής, ως ένα πολιτικό εργαλείο που προάγει διακρίσεις. Μέσα από τα γραπτά της αναμετράται με το μύθο της βρετανικής μονοπολιτισμικότητας, ο οποίος θεμελιώνει το βρετανικό ρατσισμό περί λευκής υπεροχής. Η βία του αποκλεισμού που υφίσταται επαγγελματικά και σε κομμάτια που αφορούν τη διαβίωση της στη Μ. Βρετανία καθώς και η φυσική βία που έχει ζήσει σε διάφορες μορφές από την παιδική της ηλικία, δημιουργούν ρήξη με το δυτικό λευκό αφήγημα περί ενσωμάτωσης και πολυπολιτισμικότητας. Απέναντι στο ρατσισμό, όμως, δίνει ένα ηχηρό μήνυμα διεκδίκησης της ορατότητας, της βρετανικότητας και του ανήκειν. Το Μανιφέστο της Evaristo είναι απλά εκπληκτικό!
Η λεπτομερής και συνάμα πυκνή αυτοβιογραφια της Εβαρίστο μας επιτρέπει να τη γνωρίσουμε και να αναγνωρισουμε όλα εκείνα τα βιωματικά στοιχεία της ιδίας και των οικείων της προσώπων που έχει χρησιμοποιήσει ως πρωτογενές υλικό για το βιβλίο της "Κορίτσι, γυναίκα, άλλο". Διαβάζοντας το Μανιφέστο της, καταλαβαίνουμε πως μόνο τυχαία δεν ήταν η επιλογή των χαρακτήρων στη μυθοπλασία της και όλα τα πρόσωπα της ιστορίας φέρουν κάτι το προσωπικό της συγγραφέως. Άλλωστε, η ίδια αφιερώνει επαρκή χώρο και χρόνο στο παρόν βιβλίο για να εξηγήσει την αθέατη πλευρά του συνολικού συγγραφικού της έργου, που αναλύεται στην έμπνευση, το βίωμα, τις προσωπικές ιστορίες και το αστείρευτο ταλέντο.
Παρά τα πολλαπλά πεδία στα οποία εστιάζει, αυτό το memoir αποτελεί μια εκπληκτική μαρτυρία, η οποία μπορεί να αξιοποιηθεί κάλλιστα στις πολιτισμικές, εθνοτικές, μεταποικιακές σπουδές αλλά και στις σπουδές φύλου.
Η συγγραφέας θίγει εύστοχα τη σχετικότητα του χρώματος και της φυλής, ως ένα πολιτικό εργαλείο που προάγει διακρίσεις. Μέσα από τα γραπτά της αναμετράται με το μύθο της βρετανικής μονοπολιτισμικότητας, ο οποίος θεμελιώνει το βρετανικό ρατσισμό περί λευκής υπεροχής. Η βία του αποκλεισμού που υφίσταται επαγγελματικά και σε κομμάτια που αφορούν τη διαβίωση της στη Μ. Βρετανία καθώς και η φυσική βία που έχει ζήσει σε διάφορες μορφές από την παιδική της ηλικία, δημιουργούν ρήξη με το δυτικό λευκό αφήγημα περί ενσωμάτωσης και πολυπολιτισμικότητας. Απέναντι στο ρατσισμό, όμως, δίνει ένα ηχηρό μήνυμα διεκδίκησης της ορατότητας, της βρετανικότητας και του ανήκειν. Το Μανιφέστο της Evaristo είναι απλά εκπληκτικό!
March 1, 2022
Absolutely one of the best books that I've read in my life
November 28, 2021
I like the way that this book works on a couple of levels. First as a biography of the writer Bernardine Evaristo, and then as an encouragement to other writers, urging them in the words of the subtitle 'On Never Giving Up�.
In 2019 Evaristo jointly won the Booker Prize and it was an event that changed her life. Before that, she had written numerous books and stage plays but they had not received the attention they deserved. Now people are reading her earlier works with new eyes, opened for them by the Booker. Late in this book she describes a moment from that evening:
What really struck me about the book was the struggle Evaristo has encountered throughout her life; the racism and prejudice. But also that it was not just her family, with a black Nigerian father married to a white English mother, but that it could be found in earlier generations. A few steps back on the family tree, one relative had married a German who arrived in Britain in the 1860s and prospered enough to own two bakeries. His windows were smashed during World War I in the same way Evaristo’s were for being a black family in a white neighbourhood. In another part of the family in the late 1800s someone married an Irishman, another group that were lampooned and discriminated against. Interesting to see on how many levels bigotry can operate on.
There is a touching recognition of her heritage at the start of each section of the book where she gives the chapter number in old English, Yoruba (a Nigerian language), Irish, German and Portuguese. All ancestors covered.
Evaristo recognises that she has her own inner toughness, essential to her creative survival. She observes:
There are several examples of symmetry throughout the book. A strong grandmother made curtains for the local convent grammar school to help secure Evaristo’s mother a place there. The mother, who became a teacher, used her own connections to secure a place at a grammar school for her daughter. It wasn’t their first choice, but the racism of the time prevented her gaining entry to the first even though she had the qualifications. She would have been the only black girl in the school, just like she was in the school she did attend.
Once she left school, next came boyfriend, job and rented home. At 18 she spent her first night in a bedroom that wasn’t shared. It is hard to imagine the life that was lived with eight children in the house.
While undertaking a writers residency at the Museum of London, Evaristo wrote a story called Emperor’s Babe which featured a black character. The Museum disagreed, saying there was no evidence for such a person, but years later, archaeology proved that there had been an African presence in Roman London. You can feel the author’s satisfaction at this discovery.
More generally about writing, Evaristo makes the following observations:
She also makes the following observation about some of the comments that have been made about her own writing:
The book ends with two superb short sections � a conclusion and a Manifesto. Evaristo notes that many of the roles she has assumed in her professional life were unthinkable at the time of her birth � board memberships, editor and professorships. But now with maturity she does not throw stones at the fortress but sits inside ‘having polite, persuasive and persistent conversations about how to transform outmoded infrastructures…�.
Within the Manifesto there are many wise words. These in particular resonated for me:
There is more great wisdom, but you need to read it for yourself and reflect on the wisdom of the messages it contains.
This is a great read, inspiring and fascinating.
In 2019 Evaristo jointly won the Booker Prize and it was an event that changed her life. Before that, she had written numerous books and stage plays but they had not received the attention they deserved. Now people are reading her earlier works with new eyes, opened for them by the Booker. Late in this book she describes a moment from that evening:
The prize judges chose two winners for the 2019’s award: Margaret Atwood for The Testaments, the sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, and myself. I’ll never forget how elated I felt when my name was called out by the Chair of the jury. Margaret and I met on the steps of the stage and hugged � two women, two races, two nations, two generations � two members of the human race � and then we ascended the stage hand-in-hand to rapturous applause. It was a landmark historical moment for literature and for the sisterhood.
What really struck me about the book was the struggle Evaristo has encountered throughout her life; the racism and prejudice. But also that it was not just her family, with a black Nigerian father married to a white English mother, but that it could be found in earlier generations. A few steps back on the family tree, one relative had married a German who arrived in Britain in the 1860s and prospered enough to own two bakeries. His windows were smashed during World War I in the same way Evaristo’s were for being a black family in a white neighbourhood. In another part of the family in the late 1800s someone married an Irishman, another group that were lampooned and discriminated against. Interesting to see on how many levels bigotry can operate on.
There is a touching recognition of her heritage at the start of each section of the book where she gives the chapter number in old English, Yoruba (a Nigerian language), Irish, German and Portuguese. All ancestors covered.
Evaristo recognises that she has her own inner toughness, essential to her creative survival. She observes:
This hardiness was probably first developed in my very early years. I’ve never been in therapy as I like to live with my demons. By this I don’t mean that I’m living with unresolved trauma, but that I’ve become adept at self-interrogation and have never felt driven to seek help. I like to work things out for myself, and I guess this book is a massive act of self-interrogation.
There are several examples of symmetry throughout the book. A strong grandmother made curtains for the local convent grammar school to help secure Evaristo’s mother a place there. The mother, who became a teacher, used her own connections to secure a place at a grammar school for her daughter. It wasn’t their first choice, but the racism of the time prevented her gaining entry to the first even though she had the qualifications. She would have been the only black girl in the school, just like she was in the school she did attend.
Once she left school, next came boyfriend, job and rented home. At 18 she spent her first night in a bedroom that wasn’t shared. It is hard to imagine the life that was lived with eight children in the house.
While undertaking a writers residency at the Museum of London, Evaristo wrote a story called Emperor’s Babe which featured a black character. The Museum disagreed, saying there was no evidence for such a person, but years later, archaeology proved that there had been an African presence in Roman London. You can feel the author’s satisfaction at this discovery.
More generally about writing, Evaristo makes the following observations:
How we manage ourselves once our books are out in the public domain can make the difference between a lifelong career or an ephemeral one. And no matter how well our books are doing, there will always be dissenters who don’t like them, who think they’re overrated. It sobering, grounding.
My goal, as always, is to continue to write stories and to develop my skills. There is no point of arrival whereby one stops growing as a creative person; to think otherwise will lead to creative repetition and stagnation.
She also makes the following observation about some of the comments that have been made about her own writing:
I have also been told that, whatever I write, I’m writing about myself. I know, crazy. As if I’m somehow an Afro-Roman girl from eighteen hundred years ago, a septuagenarian gay Caribbean man, a fourteen-year-old schoolboy living on an estate, or a white slave woman living in a parallel universe! One radio interviewer asked me if all twelve characters in Girl, Woman, Other were versions of myself. Really? A Nigerian immigrant who works as a cleaner and a ninety-three-year-old northern farmer? My books are only about myself in the sense that any work of fiction can be said to be a manifestation of a writer’s preconceptions. The only character who is a fully fictionalised version of myself is the eponymous Lara, and even then, I make things up. It’s what we novelists do.
Creative writers are proud of our own imaginations: we cherish our ability to conceive of ideas and to find interesting ways to express them. I give myself complete artistic licence to write from multiple perspectives and to inhabit different cultures across the perceived barriers of race, culture, gender, age and sexuality. I am the most rebellious of writers; a freedom lover and disobeyer of rules, which is why I’m curious as to the concept of cultural ownership, which rears its head in discussions about artistic freedom. How can culture be owned by anyone when it is in a perpetual state of movement and metamorphosis, of permeability and responsiveness to global influences.
The book ends with two superb short sections � a conclusion and a Manifesto. Evaristo notes that many of the roles she has assumed in her professional life were unthinkable at the time of her birth � board memberships, editor and professorships. But now with maturity she does not throw stones at the fortress but sits inside ‘having polite, persuasive and persistent conversations about how to transform outmoded infrastructures…�.
Within the Manifesto there are many wise words. These in particular resonated for me:
Storytellers must overcome all internal & external obstacles by prioritizing our commitment to ambition, hard work, craft, originality & unstoppability.
Creativity circulates freely in our imaginations, waiting for us to tap into it. It must not be bound by rules or censorship, yet we should not ignore its socio-political contexts.
Be wild, disobedient & daring with your creativity, take risks instead of following predictable routes; those who play it safe do not advance our culture or civilization.
There is more great wisdom, but you need to read it for yourself and reflect on the wisdom of the messages it contains.
This is a great read, inspiring and fascinating.
May 5, 2022
Αχ μ' άρεσε πιο πολύ απ ότι περίμενα!
Ενθαρρυντικό, όμορφο και δυναμικό οσο έπρεπε💜
Ενθαρρυντικό, όμορφο και δυναμικό οσο έπρεπε💜
January 19, 2022
A fascinating memoir that gives an honest telling of who Bernardino Everisto is and how her life influenced the creative writer she has become. Born to a White Mother who grew up in England and an Immigrant Father from Nigeria, life was unconventional. Many people were cruel to her and her family. Her mother’s family could not accept that she loved and married a black man. People threw bricks at her house. So she knows that she is always an outsider. She was raised to be independent and was not pressured to confirm to traditional ideals. This gave her the freedom to find out who she really was. She lives as a queer woman, while starting a Community Theater. Yet, she starts to write poetry, just for herself, as a way of expressing her deepest feelings. Her life changes over the course of 60 years and she learns and changes to adapt as she sees fit.
So, she does live an unorthodox life, but is glad for it. She moved around frequently for 30 years. She mentioned how this really helped when she is creating the space for characters for her novels because she is able to really envision it. I liked hearing about the her writing process and all that went into creating each book she wrote. One quality that sets her apart is her determination. Hearing no or being rejected only made her more determined to keep going. It takes a lot of hard work to reach her goals, but she in inspirational in her ability to persevere.
She sees being an activist as part of her life, but her essence is being a writer. That is her true passion. Yet, she does not feel these are exclusive and try’s to advocate for all people to be heard and be able to share their stories and communities. She has a keen understanding of life and I learned much from reading about her incredible life. “Struggle, positivity, activism, and self-belief have all contributed towards my unstoppability�. Those are her words and I think it sums her life up well. Definitely recommend reading, especially if you enjoy her writing.
Thanks you NetGalley, Bernadine Evaristo and Grove Atlantic for an ARC of this book. It’s much appreciated.
So, she does live an unorthodox life, but is glad for it. She moved around frequently for 30 years. She mentioned how this really helped when she is creating the space for characters for her novels because she is able to really envision it. I liked hearing about the her writing process and all that went into creating each book she wrote. One quality that sets her apart is her determination. Hearing no or being rejected only made her more determined to keep going. It takes a lot of hard work to reach her goals, but she in inspirational in her ability to persevere.
She sees being an activist as part of her life, but her essence is being a writer. That is her true passion. Yet, she does not feel these are exclusive and try’s to advocate for all people to be heard and be able to share their stories and communities. She has a keen understanding of life and I learned much from reading about her incredible life. “Struggle, positivity, activism, and self-belief have all contributed towards my unstoppability�. Those are her words and I think it sums her life up well. Definitely recommend reading, especially if you enjoy her writing.
Thanks you NetGalley, Bernadine Evaristo and Grove Atlantic for an ARC of this book. It’s much appreciated.
April 11, 2022
Bernardine Evaristo wurde 2019 über Nacht weltweit berühmt, als sie den Man Booker Prize für ihren Roman >Mädchen, Frau etc.< erhielt. Sie ist eine wichtige Stimme in den Debatten um Rassismus und Klassismus, Queer- und Frauenfeindlichkeit. Mit >Manifesto. Warum ich niemals aufgebe< veröffentlichte sie ihre Memoiren und erzählt ihre Lebensgeschichte, sie spricht über ihren Ruhm und ihre Meinung zu Literaturpreisen.
Sie benennt die gesellschaftlichen Widerstände, die ihren Weg schwer machen - aber auch die gesellschaftlichen Fortschritte. Sie erzählt über Rassismus, Feminismus, ihr Liebesleben, ihre Herangehensweise an ihre Schreibprozesse und Gender - dabei fordert sie ihre Leser*innen mit komplexen Gedankengängen, die aber nachvollziehbar bleiben. Die Übersetzerin Tanja Handels hat hierbei großartige Arbeit vollbracht.
Sie benennt die gesellschaftlichen Widerstände, die ihren Weg schwer machen - aber auch die gesellschaftlichen Fortschritte. Sie erzählt über Rassismus, Feminismus, ihr Liebesleben, ihre Herangehensweise an ihre Schreibprozesse und Gender - dabei fordert sie ihre Leser*innen mit komplexen Gedankengängen, die aber nachvollziehbar bleiben. Die Übersetzerin Tanja Handels hat hierbei großartige Arbeit vollbracht.
December 17, 2021
"I wasn't an overnight succes, but everything changed overnight."
When Bernadine Evaristo won the Man Booker Prize in 2019, together with Margaret Atwood, the discussion immediately began. Not only whether it was a good idea to share the prize, but most people wondered: Who is Bernadine Evaristo?
A striking question, since the 62-year-old author has been publishing books since 1997; the winner of the Booker Prize, is her ninth novel.
In this fascinating and encouraging biography, Evaristo tells us about her childhood, her career in literature and theatre, and the ideas behind her various novels. She grew up as the daughter of a Nigerian father and an English mother in England during the '60 and '70 - she encountered racism and xenophobia many times during her life and in her workfield. Evaristo describes those moments casually, but that doesn't make it less painful to read about.
But mostly, this book breaths positive energy and shows how perseverance brings you far. Whether by setting up the Theatre of Black Women with her classmates, finding funds to promote young Black poets, or finding out her own writing style (mixing prose and poetry together): if you continue to put out into the world, the world can't help but start hearing and applauding your voice.
A definite recommendation for Evaristo fans, readers of Black literature, and people looking for an inspirational biography.
"Literary influences are important, but we are carrying so much more within us that alchemizes into our creativity."
When Bernadine Evaristo won the Man Booker Prize in 2019, together with Margaret Atwood, the discussion immediately began. Not only whether it was a good idea to share the prize, but most people wondered: Who is Bernadine Evaristo?
A striking question, since the 62-year-old author has been publishing books since 1997; the winner of the Booker Prize, is her ninth novel.
In this fascinating and encouraging biography, Evaristo tells us about her childhood, her career in literature and theatre, and the ideas behind her various novels. She grew up as the daughter of a Nigerian father and an English mother in England during the '60 and '70 - she encountered racism and xenophobia many times during her life and in her workfield. Evaristo describes those moments casually, but that doesn't make it less painful to read about.
But mostly, this book breaths positive energy and shows how perseverance brings you far. Whether by setting up the Theatre of Black Women with her classmates, finding funds to promote young Black poets, or finding out her own writing style (mixing prose and poetry together): if you continue to put out into the world, the world can't help but start hearing and applauding your voice.
A definite recommendation for Evaristo fans, readers of Black literature, and people looking for an inspirational biography.
"Literary influences are important, but we are carrying so much more within us that alchemizes into our creativity."
February 21, 2022
Φοβερή, καταπληκτική, αγαπημένη Bernardine Evaristo! Δεν είχα σκοπό να το ξεκινήσω χθες, πήγα να ρίξω μόνο μία ματιά στα περιεχόμενα και στις πρώτες σελίδες, αλλά με συνεπήρε τόσο πολύ η αφήγηση αυτής της σπουδαίας συγγραφέως που φυσικά μέσα σε λίγες ώρες το είχα τελειώσει. Άλλη μία σημαντική, εξαιρετική έκδοση από τις εκδόσεις Gutenberg, που μελλοντικά μάς έχουν υποσχεθεί το Blonde Roots, αλλά προσωπικά εύχομαι να εκδώσουν κι άλλα έργα της.
February 11, 2024
3,5/5
Książka niezaprzeczalnie ważna, poruszająca istotne tematy jak rasizm, postrzeganie kobiety i twórczość.
Dzięki niej możemy zrozumieć, że „Dziewczyna, kobieta, inna� w dużej mierze opiera się na prywatnych doświadczeniach autorki.
Nie będę ukrywała - rozpraszało mnie w mniej skakanie z tematu na temat i ponowny powrót do omawianych wcześniej kwestii. Nie podobały mi się powtórki przekazu, który miały na myśli to samo, jednak były wyrażone w inny sposób.
Książka niezaprzeczalnie ważna, poruszająca istotne tematy jak rasizm, postrzeganie kobiety i twórczość.
Dzięki niej możemy zrozumieć, że „Dziewczyna, kobieta, inna� w dużej mierze opiera się na prywatnych doświadczeniach autorki.
Nie będę ukrywała - rozpraszało mnie w mniej skakanie z tematu na temat i ponowny powrót do omawianych wcześniej kwestii. Nie podobały mi się powtórki przekazu, który miały na myśli to samo, jednak były wyrażone w inny sposób.
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