Manifesto: On Never Giving Up

Manifesto: On Never Giving Up

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  • Create Date:2021-10-11 07:51:09
  • Update Date:2025-09-06
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  • Author:Bernardine Evaristo
  • ISBN:0241534992
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Summary

The powerful, urgent manifesto on never giving up from Booker prize-winning trailblazer, Bernardine Evaristo

Bernardine Evaristo's 2019 Booker win - the first by a Black woman - was a revolutionary moment both for British culture and for her。 After three decades as a trailblazing writer, teacher and activist, she moved from the margins to centre stage, taking her place in the spotlight at last。 Her journey was a long one, but she made it, and she made history。

MANIFESTO is Bernardine Evaristo's intimate and inspirational, no-holds-barred account of how she did it, refusing to let any barriers stand in her way。 She charts her creative rebellion against the mainstream and her life-long commitment to the imaginative exploration of 'untold' stories。 And drawing deeply on her own experiences, she offers a vital contribution to current conversations around social issues such as race, class, feminism, sexuality and aging。

This is a unique book about staying true to yourself and to your vision。 It's about how to be unstoppable - in your craft, your work, your life。 It is Bernardine Evaristo's manifesto for never giving up。

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Reviews

Pedro

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。

John Newcomb

Having watched the TV programmes and read Lara, there wasn't a great deal new here but its nice to have her life story, her views and ideology all in one place。 And as always, with whatever she writes, it is very readable and difficult to put down。 Having watched the TV programmes and read Lara, there wasn't a great deal new here but its nice to have her life story, her views and ideology all in one place。 And as always, with whatever she writes, it is very readable and difficult to put down。 。。。more

Mary

This is a fascinating read in which the author explores the impact of people, places, society and society 'norms' on her life, her writing and her identity。 It is written with honesty and humour。 You gain a real insight into the initial creation of her work and its subsequent development。 There is plenty of food for thought。 Manifesto is a feisty and fulfilling read。 Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 This is a fascinating read in which the author explores the impact of people, places, society and society 'norms' on her life, her writing and her identity。 It is written with honesty and humour。 You gain a real insight into the initial creation of her work and its subsequent development。 There is plenty of food for thought。 Manifesto is a feisty and fulfilling read。 Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Claire

Manifesto is as you would expect from Evaristo incredibly well written。 It is part memoir part essay on a range of subjects such as life, love, society and publishing。 She talks about her childhood, the racism she experienced even from her own family and how it shaped and influenced her。 I particularly enjoyed the way she decribes how and when she wrote her poetry and novels。 Her determination and belief in herself throughout her life is inspiring, she kept going changing the route but always ke Manifesto is as you would expect from Evaristo incredibly well written。 It is part memoir part essay on a range of subjects such as life, love, society and publishing。 She talks about her childhood, the racism she experienced even from her own family and how it shaped and influenced her。 I particularly enjoyed the way she decribes how and when she wrote her poetry and novels。 Her determination and belief in herself throughout her life is inspiring, she kept going changing the route but always keeping her ultimate goal in sight。 The hard work involved in being a writer is vividly illustrated and her work ethic is to be admired and emulated。 Throughout her career she was worked hard to shine a light and champion others。 Evaristo is charming and vey funny and unflinching in her honesty。 I really enjoyed reading this uplifting account。 。。。more

Bookwormbadger

I absolutely adored Girl, Woman, Other and so was delighted to be able to read Manifesto。This is a beautifully written, heartfelt, searingly honest book that is simultaneously a memoir of Evaristo's early life and background, as well as a very inspiring "manifesto" of how we should all be aiming to live, embracing our individuality, creativity and respect for all beings regardless of race, gender, sexuality, age and class。 I found it moving, thought provoking and ultimately uplifting。 She is a b I absolutely adored Girl, Woman, Other and so was delighted to be able to read Manifesto。This is a beautifully written, heartfelt, searingly honest book that is simultaneously a memoir of Evaristo's early life and background, as well as a very inspiring "manifesto" of how we should all be aiming to live, embracing our individuality, creativity and respect for all beings regardless of race, gender, sexuality, age and class。 I found it moving, thought provoking and ultimately uplifting。 She is a brilliant writer and should be read by everyone。With thanks to NetGalley, Penguin General UK and Bernardine Evaristo for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Becky

A fascinating and inspiring book。 I loved spotting flashes of where Evaristo's own experiences and background have fed into her work, as well as the chapter looking at her key titles and their genesis。 I now need to go reread Mr Loverman。 A fascinating and inspiring book。 I loved spotting flashes of where Evaristo's own experiences and background have fed into her work, as well as the chapter looking at her key titles and their genesis。 I now need to go reread Mr Loverman。 。。。more

Annette Jordan

Manifesto by Bernardine Evaristo is a compelling account of the people, places and other forces that have shaped her both as a woman and as a writer。 Written as a series of vignettes rather than a linear memoir, it draws the reader in with an almost conversational tone。 No topic is off limits, and Evaristo is not afraid to admit to her flaws or failings, instead showing how they contributed to the growth of her skill。 At the heart of this book, as is the case with her fiction, is her experiences Manifesto by Bernardine Evaristo is a compelling account of the people, places and other forces that have shaped her both as a woman and as a writer。 Written as a series of vignettes rather than a linear memoir, it draws the reader in with an almost conversational tone。 No topic is off limits, and Evaristo is not afraid to admit to her flaws or failings, instead showing how they contributed to the growth of her skill。 At the heart of this book, as is the case with her fiction, is her experiences as a Black woman in Britain, and how that has changed in the years since her childhood。 The subtitle of the book is " on never giving up" and that is a message that Evaristo emphasises over and over again in this slim volume。 Readers of her previous works will enjoy the insights she gives into where the ideas came from and how they developed over time, sometimes morphing into something completely different than she first imagined , and I was fascinated by her account of her childhood and early teenage years。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this review copy, and it left me feeling like I needed to seek out more of her back catalogue。 I read a review copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own。 。。。more

Henk

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 Manifesto: On Never Giving Up 2019 Booker prize winner Bernardine Evaristo tells her personal tale。 Her childhood 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 Manifesto: On Never Giving Up 2019 Booker prize winner Bernardine Evaristo 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 Girl, Woman, Other。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 Lara, 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。 。。。more

Evie

As stated in the blurb, Manifesto tells the story of Bernardine Evaristo from her early childhood plagued with racism, to her discovery of herself through theatre, her exploration of both her culture and sexuality and how all of this fed into her writing。 It tells the story of each of her books coming to life and the relentless writing journey and determination involved in each one。 It is filled with positivity, warmth and shines a light on all kinds of social issues seen in the world today: rac As stated in the blurb, Manifesto tells the story of Bernardine Evaristo from her early childhood plagued with racism, to her discovery of herself through theatre, her exploration of both her culture and sexuality and how all of this fed into her writing。 It tells the story of each of her books coming to life and the relentless writing journey and determination involved in each one。 It is filled with positivity, warmth and shines a light on all kinds of social issues seen in the world today: race, class, sexuality, ageing- and how Bernardine overcame her own challenges with these things to become the successful, powerful writer and person that she is today。 What did I love?I really enjoyed the writing style of this book but then I didn’t expect anything less from Bernardine Evaristo, this book was so different from anything else that I have read by her and didn’t have the unique ‘prose’ of her other books but instead took on more of a traditional fiction style and I loved it。 It flowed perfectly。 I loved the insight into Bernardine Evaristo’s life, in reading about her experiences I found the character’s from her other books and felt as though I had a look into her own inspiration。 I loved the honestly of this book- especially in the second half that focussed more on her experience whilst writing and her experience of the process and the way that she demonstrated that the writing process is not always something that is linear and even somebody who is as successful as she is experiences rejection and difficulty。 I thought this book sat perfectly in the middle ground between being a memoir but almost a diary。 This made the writing feel more raw, as though you were a bystander in Evaristo’s mind as she reflected on her own life and experiences。 I loved Evaristo’s exportation of culture and the journey she went on in order to explore this in different ways for different parts of her life。 What didn’t I love?Some of the book was a little slow paced although this may have been partly down to my interests。 In the middle of the book the story is largely focussed on Evaristo’s experience in theatre and although I found it interesting to read of her determination and how this fed into the confidence she had in the rest of her life I didn’t love the theatre specific parts。 I would have loved a little more about her childhood and her family life。 I found this part of the book the most captivating and would have happily read more about this and how the issues that she experienced whilst growing up also impacted the wider family。 Although I really loved the infectious positivity laced through the book and importance of this positivity in Evaristo’s success I would have liked to understand the other side a little bit better。 At times it felt a little bit preachy as it didn’t explore the negative emotions or hardships as much as it could before explaining the benefits of her positive mindset。 I feel that some of the topics in the book that were maybe darker or political in nature could have been explored more。 I find Evaristo incredibly insightful and would have loved to have learnt her perspective more intricately on some of the heavier topics covered。 SummaryOverall I really enjoyed this book。 I loved the insight it gave into what had been the inspiration behind so many character’s that I have adored through Evaristo’s writing- I felt like I could find parts of her in the character’s that I have read and it only made me love them even more。 Although at times the book felt a little bit slow (largely due to my own interests) my own interest in the author kept me engaged in the story。 The writing style as always was beautiful and again helped with the flow of the story。 The way in which the chapters were marked with numbers of the different languages matching Evaristo’s culture was a really nice quirk。 The book was thought provoking and inspiring。 I felt saddened by some of the experiences of Evaristo at the hands of racism, sexism and the other topics explored but in the next breathe awe inspired by her resilience and determination in overcoming this treatment。 I would really recommend picking up this book particularly if you are familiar with any of Bernardine Evaristo’s work as it truly is a beautiful insight into her mind and her art。 。。。more

luce

“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 “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。 。。。more

Jen Burrows

Manifesto is much more of an autobiography than the 'collection of essays' promised by the blurb, but it is nonetheless an engaging read, a life story told in the author's own voice。 It's fascinating to see how one writer has helped to shape - and been shaped by - British literary culture, not just as a writer but as an activist, theatre-maker and arts organiser。Evaristo believes in the power of positivity, and although no one can manifest themselves to success without the hard work and talent t Manifesto is much more of an autobiography than the 'collection of essays' promised by the blurb, but it is nonetheless an engaging read, a life story told in the author's own voice。 It's fascinating to see how one writer has helped to shape - and been shaped by - British literary culture, not just as a writer but as an activist, theatre-maker and arts organiser。Evaristo believes in the power of positivity, and although no one can manifest themselves to success without the hard work and talent to back it up, it's inspiring to hear from a writer who has never given up。*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more

Tony S

An interesting read that is more of a life story of how the author got to where she is today。 Growing up in the same kind of era it is interesting to see how times have changed and how the old prejudices are now challenged。 It certainly opened my eyes to many of the challenges that were and still are faced in society today。 In some ways I wish we had explored more about the obstacles that were put in the way and how these were overcome and the resilience that was needed through out to do this bu An interesting read that is more of a life story of how the author got to where she is today。 Growing up in the same kind of era it is interesting to see how times have changed and how the old prejudices are now challenged。 It certainly opened my eyes to many of the challenges that were and still are faced in society today。 In some ways I wish we had explored more about the obstacles that were put in the way and how these were overcome and the resilience that was needed through out to do this but over all a thoroughly thought provoking book and some idea of how far we have come but how far we still to go。 。。。more

Chantal Lyons

This compact memoir by Evaristo will probably not be of interest to readers who have not read any of her earlier books。 Those who have will probably find the memoir rewarding and insightful。 The prose somewhat lacks the vitality of 'Girl, Woman, Other' (which has become one of my favourite books) but Evaristo's writing style remains engaging。 There are witty one-liners that had me chortling on my long train journey, and plenty of memories that clearly helped to inform Evaristo's Booker-winning m This compact memoir by Evaristo will probably not be of interest to readers who have not read any of her earlier books。 Those who have will probably find the memoir rewarding and insightful。 The prose somewhat lacks the vitality of 'Girl, Woman, Other' (which has become one of my favourite books) but Evaristo's writing style remains engaging。 There are witty one-liners that had me chortling on my long train journey, and plenty of memories that clearly helped to inform Evaristo's Booker-winning masterpiece。As a writer, I found Evaristo's musings on her writing process very reassuring - she freely admits to having to go through heaps of re-writes before she's satisfied with her work, and she emphasises the importance of respecting and listening to editorial advice。 I was also fascinated to learn about her 'affirmation' habit - as a pretty pessimistic person, this is something I might just give a try。So - if you have read any of Evaristo's books, read this one next!(With thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review) 。。。more

Kate Henderson

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 mo 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。 。。。more

Jennifer

I like most other people read and absolutely loved Girl, Woman, Other and I promptly worked my way through Bernardine's back catalogue delightfully intrigued and impressed by the authors talent at writing every book in a different style and of a different genre。 When I saw the blurb for this i was intrigued as it promised an examination of creativity and the writing process。It actually reads as more of a memoir which I didn't mind in itself 。 However I couldn't help but feel that this slim tome I like most other people read and absolutely loved Girl, Woman, Other and I promptly worked my way through Bernardine's back catalogue delightfully intrigued and impressed by the authors talent at writing every book in a different style and of a different genre。 When I saw the blurb for this i was intrigued as it promised an examination of creativity and the writing process。It actually reads as more of a memoir which I didn't mind in itself 。 However I couldn't help but feel that this slim tome really didn't deliver on either count and I was left wanting much more on both the authors life story and insights into her creative process。It did help me get to know Evaristo more as she rarely appears to do interviews and I discovered aspects to her experiences and character hitherto unknown。 The reader is given a lengthy insight into her origins and heritage through her ancestry and family anecdotes。 Also this book looks at the authors experiences with racism and sexuality during her formative years in 70s Britain which is always of interest, I particularly enjoyed the sections on culture and theatre which was touched upon in her Booker prize winning book and would like this to be expanded upon on a future work or perhaps series of essays。 。。。more