i'm a huge fan of Bernardine Evaristo and found Manifesto incredibly engaging. Honest and fascinating, written in her engaging manner.

Having read Girl, Woman, Other and loved it, I was interested in reading about the authors life. I have an innate curiosity about people and I found Bernardine Evaristo's memoir fascinating.

A biracial child born to a British Mum and Nigerian Dad, she experienced hostility and racism from an early age. A family of eight siblings made for a sense of community at home, and may also have contributed to the author wanting to stand out.

From writing poetry as a form of self-expression, to acting and writing in community theatre as well as becoming an activist, EB has lived a life of purpose and fulfillment. Winning the Booker Prize at sixty was perhaps the cherry on the top of a multi-layered cake.

I think what fascinated me the most was reading about the writing process and just how painstaking this can be. It encouraged me to write my story and not to give up when things get tough.

On hitting forty, Bernardine Evaristo took a 'leap of faith,' into creative life that she's never looked back from. There were a few false starts before that, including a coercive relationship with a woman (a fictionalised version of which makes it into a section of her stunning novel Girl, Woman, Other) who even read out Bernardine's poetry in public while Bernardine sat silently beside her - if that doesn't tell you all you need to know!

Growing up in an enormous family (her parents took Catholic family planning advice seriously, and didn't look for loopholes) her childhood and adolescence was like a chaotic artist's colony, with the children given plenty of independence and encouraged to live their own separate lives, something that would stand her in good stead, A no-nonsense memoir of self-actualisation and finding a home, from one of our most exciting contemporary writers.

Anything that Bernardine Evaristo writes is gold to me.
Reading this book was a perfect insight into one of my favourite authors and will make me appreciate her books and her creativity even more.

I read Girl, Woman, Other recently and LOVED it, Manifesto is a fascinating glimpse into the life of the unique woman who wrote it. It's an unconventional, inspiring and deeply interesting read that touches on so many different aspects of life that it's difficult to put into words. It is well worth a read.

This manifesto is an incredible read that is very much needed. It should be given out in schools, universities and workplaces for everyone to read as it is so powerful and so timeley.

I loved Girl, Woman Other and I have heard Evaristo talk on several occasions so I was very interested to read Manifesto and I was not disappointed. It is a very open and honest account of Evaristo's life and the struggles and triumphs she has experienced along the way.
I particularly liked the way it was set out, it is almost like a series of essays that you can dip in and out of, making it very accessible.
I think this book will appeal to many, not just those who want to write. It is about overcoming adversity and following your dreams and ambitions.

Winning the Booker Prize is not just about financial gain, the award gives the author a platform and Evaristo has chosen to make excellent use of this, becoming a valued voice on issues including art, race and inclusion. Her story is a valuable one and reading this book is incredibly rewarding.

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.

I loved, and really needed, this manifesto on living and being the person you want to be. As someone who has unmet dreams at the age of 48 this felt like a rallying cry that I can still do this. This is an incredibly powerful and honest mix of essay and memoir, explaining how Evaristo got here. I loved her description of how she wrote, both the need to write and the discipline (something I struggle with). Between that are essays on the racism she experienced in her childhood, even from her own family. The way she kept her hopes on her future and her sheer determination to succeed is inspiring. She has always kept an incredible work ethic, sometimes having to change the way or means, but never changing the destination. I’m going to use this going forward to motivate me.

I you'd want to read a biography from a writer it would be Bernadine Evaristo. Her journey and story towards success is one that inspires with its realness, and honesty. Just as her novels create vivid images with Evaristo's unique writing style so does this. Would highly recommend.

This is one of the most honest memoirs I’ve ever read! Bernadine doesn’t hold anything back, I feel like I’ve sat down with her over a glass of wine and she’s poured everything out, I know more about Bernadine than some of my close friends.
Now that I’ve read this, I want to reread Girl, Woman, Other as Bernadine has clearly put so much of herself and her own experiences into those characters.
I really enjoyed the history of London, the different areas and homes she lived in. But I think what you take away from this book is what a challenging upbringing she had and yet doesn’t once seem to moan or wallow, if anything it’s made her the strong, talented artist that she is today. I also want to read some of Bernadine back catalogue that she talks about, especially Lara.

A sort of biographical memoir by Bernadine Evaristo. It explains who she is and where she came from and how her life has influenced her writing. It was very interesting to see the process she went through to become a internationally successful writer.

I loved 'Girl, Woman, Other' so getting the chance to review Manifesto was something I jumped at. Made up of social commentaries on various matters such as race, gender discrimination, politics, Manifesto is divided in different theme based chapters and is funny, honest and easy to read.   .
Thanks to @netgalley and @penguinukbooks for the e-arc copy

Not really a manifesto, in spite of the title, but actually a pretty conventional memoir of an admittedly unconventional life. It’s a statement of who she is, of her ambition and of her vision, and the importance of never giving up. She reflects on her heritage and background, her family, friends and lovers, admits to her mistakes and rejoices in her successes. “A massive act of self-interrogation” as she herself calls it and it makes for some compelling reading. Never less than candid, the book is a real insight into Bernardine Evaristo as woman and artist, and I found the book engaging and revelatory.

Evaristo's 'Manifesto' is part memoir, part mission statement. Her book examines how, in particular, her early life experiences have shaped her as a creative and as a political voice. Indeed, she explains how - and why - she has never separated these two identities. Evaristo's prose in 'Manifesto' is light touch and warm. Here she has no need to 'prove' her literary prowess - her life's work speaks for itself!

This memoir is actually my introduction to Evaristo and her writing, as I haven't read 'Girl, Woman, Other' yet. I liked the idea of getting to know her before picking her fictional work. After reading this, I'd say you don't need to be a fan to pick it up. It was funny, incredibly honest and inspiring.

Evaristo shares episodes of her life, interlaced with social commentaries on various matters such as race, gender discrimination, politics and so on.
It is divided in different thematic chapters, rather than following a timeline, which I thought was interesting. By juxtaposing all these experiences with similar themes (childhood/family, relationships, work...), it allows us to see how her approach to these different aspects of her life has evolved with age.

She's always honest about her past and her views, and doesn't shy away from talking about past mistakes, even when it might potentially make her look bad, which is something I found commendable and refreshing.
She writes her thoughts as if she's having a conversation with us, using informal tone and slang, which gave me down to earth/relatable vibes.

I loved reading about her childhood, the insight about growing up in a mixed race family in 60/70s Britain, how she navigated adult life and the creative world as a black woman, unapologetically trying to find herself and never compromising on her ideals and dreams. We see how her life feeds into her creative process, and we are reminded that her success, just like any success, didn't come out of nowhere but was the result of a long journey.

Manifesto is a testimony of determination and perseverance and a reminder to never give up indeed.

Thanks to @netgalley and @penguinukbooks for the e-arc copy

'Girl, Women, Other' is one of my favourite books so I couldn't wait to read Evaristo's new book.

In 'Manifesto' we get an overview of Evaristo's life so far, covering her childhood, family, relationships and career. Although the book is fairly short and high-level, she is very candid about particularly sensitive areas of her life, such as her experience growing up mixed race in England, and difficult romantic relationships and the impact it had on her and her career.

Evaristo is an excellent writer and she writes with real humility, candour and humour. I highly recommend this book for an insight into her life and career.

It brought tears to my eyes. Truly an astounding piece from an inspiring writer. I can't put it into words

Queen Bernardine. I adored this. We teach Girl, Woman, Other at A Level and a lot of the boys chose it as their coursework text. Not only will this book help them with their studies, but it is also going to be the most fantastic library resource for other pupils and teachers who just can't get enough of her writing. Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to read this early!