Author Evaristo 'astonished' to receive one-off £100k prize

Bernardine Evaristo, a trailblazing author and advocate for diversity in literature, has expressed her astonishment and gratitude upon receiving a one-off outstanding contribution award from the Women's Prize for Fiction. This special prize, which includes a £100,000 cash award and a sculpture, celebrates the 30th anniversary of the prize and honors Bernardine's remarkable career and dedication to promoting inclusion in the arts. Evaristo, who made history as the first black woman to win the prestigious Booker Prize in 2019 alongside Margaret Atwood, shared with the BBC that this recognition was unexpected but deeply appreciated. She plans to invest the prize money into a project aimed at supporting other female writers, emphasizing the importance of women uplifting one another in the literary world.

Throughout her career, Bernardine Evaristo has been a powerful force for change. She co-founded Britain's first black women's theatre company, Theatre of Black Women, and established several initiatives such as the Spread the Word writers' development agency, the Complete Works mentoring scheme for poets of color, and the Brunel International African Poetry Prize. Her activism began in the 1980s, driven by a clear need to create opportunities for underrepresented voices. Evaristo views her advocacy as inseparable from her creativity, believing that taking responsibility and being the change she wanted to see were essential. She warns against complacency, noting that progress can be fragile and that there is a current backlash against the freedoms women have fought hard to earn over the past century.

In addition to her activism, Evaristo is a prolific writer whose works include the Booker-winning novel Girl, Woman, Other, the satirical Blonde Roots, and a memoir titled Manifesto: On Never Giving Up. Her novel Mr Loverman was adapted into a BBC drama that won major acting awards at the Bafta TV Awards. Bernardine balances her writing with her activism and teaching roles, including her position as president of the Royal Society of Literature and professor of creative writing at Brunel University. She describes her work ethic as constant and driven by passion, often working through weekends because she enjoys what she does. The Women's Prize Trust, which awarded her the outstanding contribution prize, aims to celebrate and amplify women's voices, making writing a viable career for women from all backgrounds. Judges praised Bernardine for her imaginative and courageous work and her commitment to creating opportunities for others.