It was an incredible honour to have been in conversation with the incredible Bernardine Evaristo during our annual gathering last week.
She is a force to be reckoned with. As the first Black woman and first Black British person to win the prestigious Booker Prize, her acclaimed novel ‘Girl, Woman, Other’ catapulted her into the global spotlight, introducing her powerful voice and vision to millions of readers worldwide.
But Bernardine’s impact extends far beyond the accolades and acclaim. For decades, she has been a tireless champion of marginalised artists, using her platform to amplify and elevate underrepresented perspectives and drive meaningful change within the literary and theatre landscape.
Through her art and activism, Bernardine has carved out a singular space as both a celebrated artist and a formidable global feminist activist.
Here are five key moments from her energising discussion with our Circle Ambassador journalist Lucy Siegle:
1. On creating change in your own way
“Change doesn’t happen if individuals do not make it happen. Each individual needs to take responsibility to help change society in whatever way they feel it needs to be changed.”
Bernardine emphasised the importance of individual responsibility and initiative in driving long-lasting change. Waiting for others to act is not enough – each person must take it upon themselves to make the changes they want to see, even if it means starting our own projects and initiatives from scratch.
2. On representation
“I was just really fed up with the fact that we were not present in the body of British literature. So I thought, well, I’m going to put as many black women as possible in a single book.”
Frustrated by the lack of representation of black women in British literature, she was motivated to deliberately include as many diverse black women characters as possible in her Booker-Prize winning novel ‘Girl, Woman, Other’, ensuring these voices and perspectives were central rather than marginalised.
Bernardine Evaristo with Raakhi Shah, CEO of The Circle, Sahdaish Pall from Sikh Women’s Aid and broadcaster and journalist Lucy Siegle.
3. On the balance between activism and artistry
“Your artform is your superpower. As an artist, activism underpins what I do, which is about creating a more egalitarian society and being a force in society from perspectives that aren’t usually heard. It’s about understanding the complexity of humankind, and exploring character in a way that isn’t always feminist.”
Bernardine shared the nuanced relationship between making art or creating and activism. She said great art does not have to be didactic or overtly political. An artist’s role is to explore the full spectrum of human nature, and allow readers to deepen our understanding of humanity.
4. On the importance of inclusive and intersectional global feminism
“To be a feminist means there are different parts of your life, your identity and your experiences that ought to be kind of floating around and that need to be taken into consideration. We are all part of a global ecosphere whereby we are all interrelated.”
Bernardine spoke about the exclusionary nature of the feminist movements in history, which failed to take into consideration the experiences of black women especially those who were also working class and/or queer. She highlighted how these intersecting identities made it difficult for people to find a home within the broader feminist community.
Bernardine Evaristo: “Change doesn’t happen if individuals do not make it happen.”
5. On self-protection and resilience
“You cannot take on the whole world, right? When I talk about the projects that I do, they are very localised. They’re very specific, and they may have a ripple effect outwards. I think people need to make decisions about what they can do and how they can be most useful.”
Bernardine stressed the need for resilience, self-protection, and focusing on specific impactful projects to affect change. Recognising the overwhelming nature of all the injustices in the world, she advised the importance of focus and selectivity, rather than burning out by taking on the entire world’s challenges.
PLUS: Bernardine’s recommended reads
- Our Bodies, Their Battlefield by Christina Lamb
“We hear about thousands of people are dead, millions even, sometimes dead or injured, but we don’t talk about the sexual violence against women that’s ongoing during times of conflict and war. And that’s what this book is about, and it’s such an important book.”
- How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
“It’s the kind of book you might think: ‘well, I’m not interested in Rastas and Jamaica. There’s nothing to me.’ But actually, it is just an most extraordinary story, and she she tells it beautifully.”
Missed out on the livestream? Catch the live recording here.
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