Bernardine Evaristo: ‘London, Londinium, Londolo: The Endless Possibilities of Re-Imagining London’

My fiction, verse fiction and poetry are strongly rooted in various imaginings of London, from the pre-historical settlement of early man in my poem, Routes, to the escapades of a black Roman girl living it up in Londinium in my verse novel, The Emperor’s Babe. In the parallel universe of my novel, Blonde Roots, London becomes the African city of Londolo; the semi-autobiographical verse novel Lara,spans 150 years of my family’s migrations; in Hello Mum, London is seen through the eyes of a fourteen year old boy living on a housing estate; and Mr Loverman, is the story of a 74 year old black gay man who has lived in the city for fifty years. This talk will dig deep into the city as source of inspiration with illustrative readings from the books.

Award-winning author Bernardine Evaristo’s seven books of fiction and verse fiction include Mr Loverman (Penguin 2013), Lara (Bloodaxe 2009), Blonde Roots (Penguin 2008) and The Emperor’s Babe (Penguin 2001). Two of her novels have been adapted into BBC R4 plays since 2012.  She is a literary critic, editor, writer for radio and has judged many literary prizes. She is Reader in Creative Writing at Brunel University, London and teaches the UEA-Guardian How to Tell a Story course. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and the Royal Society of Arts, and she was made an MBE in 2009. 

Venue: Senate House

Date and time: 23 July 2014, 18:15 – 19:30

Find out more on the Institute of English Studies website

Lecture attendance free.  For more information on the Literacy London full conference click here.