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Bernardine Evaristo

Bernardine Evaristo

"Be a person with knowledge not just opinions."

Bernardine Anne Mobolaji Evaristo OBE FRSL FRSA, born on May 28, 1959, is a British author and academic. In 2019, her novel "Girl, Woman, Other" shared the Booker Prize with Margaret Atwood's "The Testaments," making Evaristo the first Black woman to win the Booker. Evaristo holds the position of Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University London and serves as President of the Royal Society of Literature, becoming the second woman and the first Black person to hold this prestigious role since its establishment in 1820.

Evaristo is a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusivity in the arts. She founded the Brunel International African Poetry Prize (2012–2022) and spearheaded The Complete Works poetry mentoring scheme (2007–2017). Additionally, she co-founded Spread the Word writer development agency with Ruth Borthwick (1995–present) and Britain's pioneering black women's theatre company, Theatre of Black Women (1982–1988). Notably, Evaristo organized Britain's inaugural major black theatre conference, Future Histories (1995), and the first significant conference on black British writing, Tracing Paper (1997).

Evaristo's contributions to literature have earned her over 77 honors, awards, fellowships, and nominations. She is a lifetime Honorary Fellow of St Anne's College, University of Oxford, and an International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. In 2021, she assumed the presidency of Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance. Evaristo held the position of vice-chair of the Royal Society of Literature (RSL) and became a lifetime vice-president in 2020 before ascending to the role of president from 2022 to 2026. Recognizing her literary achievements, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen's 2009 Birthday Honours and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen's 2020 Birthday Honours, both for her services to literature.

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