Girl, Woman, Other (2019)
Who wrote it?
Bernardine Anne Mobolaji Evaristo (1959- ; active 1982), born Eltham, London, England. She was raised in Woolwich, the fourth of eight children to an English mother and a Nigerian father. Her father was the first black councillor in the London Borough of Greenwich, on behalf of the Labour Party. She was educated at Eltham Hill Grammar School for Girls, the Greenwich Young People's Theatre and Goldsmith's College.
She originally trained as an actress and began by working in (largely experimental, fringe) theatre in the 80s. She has taught creative writing since 1994, in the UK, US and South Africa amongst others. Since 2001, she has written eight novels and books of verse-fiction, beginning with The Emperor's Babe (2001), a verse-novel, which immediately garnered several awards and was named one of the Times' best 100 books of the decade in 2010. Other works include Blonde Roots (2008), a satire which inverts the history of the Slave Trade in a world in which Europeans are the ones enslaved, and Mr Loverman (2014). With Girl, Woman, Other, she was the first black woman and first black British person to win the Booker Prize.
She initiated an Arts Council report in 2006 into why so few black and Asian poets are published in the UK, the publication of which was followed by her setting up The Complete Works poetry mentoring scheme, which has produced a distinguished rollcall of successful alumni. She has written numerous essays, articles and reviews for a wide range of publications over the years, as well as judging several literary prizes. She published two non-fiction books in 2021, Manifesto: On Never Giving Up, and Feminism.
She is also President-elect of the Royal Society of Literature, the first person of colour to hold the role sinces its inception in 1820.
What's it about?
Girl, Woman, Other follows the lives of 12 characters, predominantly black and female, in the UK over the course of the twentieth and early twenty-first century. Each of the 12 main sections is told in the voice of those characters, whose lives cross over, in some cases intimately and in others highly tangentially, with the other characters in the book. The first chapter focuses on the build-up to the launch of its central character, Amma's new play, The Last Amazon of Dahomey, opening at the National Theatre. The final chapter takes place at the play's afterparty, at which many of the present-day characters are present or in the minds of those attending.
Throughout the novel we meet an incredibly diverse cross-section of characters, from a wide range of backgrounds, sexualities, and occupations. There are teenagers and characters in their nineties. Each section tells a life story in miniature, often touching on previous generations, widening its scope even further. Characters are repeatedly seen first from one perspective, and then from one or more alternative perspectives, encouraging constant reassessment of what we've previously read.
What I liked
This is one of the most readable and downright enjoyable Booker winners to date. While there is a somewhat complex structure underpinning its characters’ many intersections and relationships, and it is presented in a punctuation-light fashion with verse-style line breaks, it is never challenging in the slightest. Despite its deep, important themes it’s an incredibly accessible read.
The scope of this short-ish book is incredible. Both in the range of voices Evaristo inhabits so brilliantly, and the ability to present their rich, complex life stories so concisely in the space of each brief chapter. Each is like a perfectly formed short story, covering both the “glimpse of truth” into that character’s life, but also a grand sweep of their life and place in a world of intersection and connection.
Some of the section are especially brilliant. I enjoyed it all (after a brief bump at the start, touched on below) - but the lives of the older characters (such as Bummi and Hattie) were especially magical and moving, as are the sections that take us out of the UK (such as Dominique) or into the more distant past (Grace).
The human and emotive stories are a brilliant Trojan Horse for some Big Issues. Evaristo is encouraging empathy for a wide range of intersectional black female voices, highlighting how they can be “othered” both by society as a whole and (more interestingly) each other. There’s much to think about in here. for sure.
And yet… I suspect that exact point might mean there are still people out there that might believe this wonderful book isn’t “for them” - as it’s about “issues” - if that is actually the case, then more fool them as this is a book for everyone who likes books, and it’s about people.
What I didn’t like
Ultimately, very little. It’s a fantastic read, insanely clever in its mixing of big themes with accessibility and enjoyable storytelling.
I do confess it took me a little while to get into it, with the author-cipher character Amma and especially the walking Gen-Z cultural reference point encyclopedia Yazz being two of the least engaging (and, to my mind, surprising) characters in the book. In a sense (if intentional, as I suspect), this is quite a clever switch though as you begin with two relatively familiar characters and are then blown away by Dominique’s story and the variety and richness that follows it in subsequent chapters. So not a criticism as such, just if you don’t find yourself immediately captivated, most definitely stick with it!
Food & drink pairings
Copious amounts of afterparty Prosecco
Fun facts
This is the third time in Booker history that the Prize has been shared.
The first was in 1974, between two books that could hardly have been more different, Stanley Middleton’s Holiday and Nadine Gordimer’s The Conservationist. (I rated both of them around the same at the time, though retrospectively Gordimer’s has stuck with me much more.)
It happened next in 1992, with the honours split between Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient and Barry Unsworth’s Sacred Hunger. (I preferred the latter, the rest of the world seemingly the former.)
Despite this, the 2019 decision was almost certainly the most controversial of the three occasions. A number of reasons made it so:
Most obviously, the organisers had implemented a “rule” in 1993 that henceforth only one winner of the Prize would be allowed. As such, the judges this time around, under chair Peter Florence, were making a conscious decision to flout the rules. Unlike on the two previous occasions, when those rules did not (formally) exist.
Part of the reason for the rule change was the Foundation’s belief, expressed by literary director Gaby Wood at the time, was that it had the undesired effect of “detracting attention from” rather than “drawing attention to” both books. This was seen by commenters at the time as a particular issue given the sharing of the award between Evaristo, the first black female winner of the award, and Atwood, a previous winner (with 2000’s The Blind Assassin) who many felt was already sufficiently acclaimed and celebrated.
While both winners put on a good show at the time, bigging each other up on stage and sharing joint publicity opportunities with a smile, some of Evaristo’s extremely understandable frustration became evident later that year when an ad-libbing BBC presenter managed to refer to the 2019 Booker Prize winners as “Margaret Atwood and another author.” Oh dear.
Sam Leith, a former Booker judge, was one of the more outspoken critics of the decision, calling it an “epic fail”, and explaining:
“The suspicion in the reading public’s mind will be that one or other of these considerable authors was being patronised; that something extra-literary had entered into the considerations of the panel, that the judges were trying to have their cake and eat it. Had they given it a single one, that would not have been possible in the same way. They could have said, simply: this book is first among equals.”
Vanquished Foes
Lucy Ellmann (Ducks, Newburyport)
Chigozie Obioma (An Orchestra of Minorities)
Salman Rushdie (Quichotte)
Elif Shafak (10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World)
As discussed, Evaristo shared the 2019 Prize with Margaret Atwood (The Testaments). I'll be reading that next, but which of the others are worth a look?
The Women's Prize went to Tayari Jones' An American Marriage, which was chosen over Anna Burns' 2018 Booker winner Milkman as well as previous Booker winner Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls. Girl, Woman, Other was shortlisted in 2020.
Context
In 2019:
UK PM Theresa May resigns as Conservative leader; Boris Johnson elected her successor; later calls election and wins significantly increased majority
In early December, the first known human case of Covid-19 is identified in Wuhan, China - no reports will be released internationally until the end of the month
Record number of wildfires in the Amazon rainforest
4 million worldwide join climate strikes led by Greta Thunberg
Donald Trump becomes third US president to face impeachment, on two charges
US under Trump withdraw from 1987 Nuclear treaty; Russia follows suit
Christchurch, New Zealand mosque attacks
Series of bomb attacks across Sri Lanka leave over 250 dead
Start of Hong Kong protests regarding Chinese extradition legislation
Fire destroys roof and main spire of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris
Kivu Ebola outbreak kills 1000 in the second-deadliest outbreak in history
Presidential crisis in Venezuala
US justice department charges Chinese tech firm Huawei wih multiple counts of fraud; subsequent China-US Trade War
Ursula von der Leyen elected as new EU President, replacing Jean-Claude Juncker
Proroguing of UK Parliament by Boris Johnson's Conservatives over Brexit impasse - later ruled as unlawful
In October, a further million people march through London in People's Vote campaign for a second Brexit referendum
Emperor Akahito of Japan abdicates
Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir deposed in a coup after nearly 30 years in power
Boeing 737 fleet withdrawal after disastrous crashes
Taiwan's parliament becomes the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage
Ban on tourists climbing Uluru in Australia comes into effect
First ever image of a black hole produced by Event Horizon Telescope project
All-English Champions League final sees Liverpool defeat Spurs to win their sixth title
Candice Carty-Williams, Queenie
Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys
John Lanchester, The Wall
Parasite
Avengers: Endgame
Joker
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Harry Styles, Fine Line
Little Simz, Grey Area
Tyler, the Creator, Igor
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Ghosteen
Life Lessons
First impressions may not be accurate (in various senses)
Life is a rich tapestry
People are underestimated
Lots of other lovely stuff like that
Score
9
Certainly among the finest Booker winners, continuing an excellent run through the late 2010s.
Ranking to date:
Lincoln in the Bardo - George Saunders (2017) - 10
The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro (1989) - 9.5
Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie (1981) - 9.5
Disgrace - J. M. Coetzee (1999) - 9.5
The Narrow Road to the Deep North - Richard Flanagan (2014) - 9.5
Girl, Woman, Other - Bernardine Evaristo (2019) - 9
The Line of Beauty - Alan Hollinghurst (2004) - 9
Moon Tiger - Penelope Lively (1987) - 9
A Brief History of Seven Killings - Marlon James (2015) - 9
The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga (2008) - 9
Sacred Hunger - Barry Unsworth (1992) - 9
Oscar & Lucinda - Peter Carey (1988) - 9
The Sea, The Sea - Iris Murdoch (1978) - 9
Life & Times of Michael K. - J. M. Coetzee (1983) - 9
The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy (1997) - 9
Schindler’s Ark - Thomas Keneally (1982) - 9
The Inheritance of Loss - Kiran Desai (2006) - 9
Life of Pi - Yann Martel (2002) - 8.5
Bring Up The Bodies - Hilary Mantel (2012) - 8.5
The Bone People - Keri Hulme (1985) - 8.5
How Late it Was, How Late - James Kelman (1994) - 8.5
Troubles - J.G. Farrell (1970, "Lost Booker") - 8.5
The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes (2011) - 8
The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood (2000) - 8
Possession - A. S. Byatt (1990) - 8
Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel (2009) - 8
Milkman - Anna Burns (2018) - 8
The Sellout - Paul Beatty (2016) - 8
Saville - David Storey (1976) - 8
The Luminaries - Eleanor Catton (2013) - 8
The Sea - John Banville (2005) - 8
The Siege of Krishnapur - J.G. Farrell (1973) - 8
Vernon God Little - DBC Pierre (2003) - 7.5
The English Patient - Michael Ondaatje (1992) - 7.5
The Finkler Question - Howard Jacobson (2010) - 7.5
Rites of Passage - William Golding (1980) - 7.5
The Gathering - Anne Enright (2007) - 7.5
True History of the Kelly Gang - Peter Carey (2001) - 7.5
Offshore - Penelope Fitzgerald (1979) - 7.5
Last Orders - Graham Swift (1996) - 7
The Elected Member - Bernice Rubens (1970) - 7
The Conservationist - Nadine Gordimer (1974) - 7
Holiday - Stanley Middleton (1974) - 7
Heat & Dust - Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (1975) - 6.5
In a Free State* - V.S. Naipaul (1971) - 6.5
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha - Roddy Doyle (1993) - 6
G. - John Berger (1972) - 6
The Famished Road - Ben Okri (1991) - 6
Something to Answer For - P. H. Newby (1969) - 5.5
The Ghost Road** - Pat Barker (1995) - 5.5
Staying On - Paul Scott (1977) - 5
Amsterdam - Ian McEwan (1998) - 5
Hotel du Lac - Anita Brookner (1984) - 4.5
The Old Devils - Kingsley Amis (1986) - 4
*Read in later condensed edition.
**Third part of a trilogy of which I hadn’t read pts 1&2
Next up
Staying in 2019 with Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments. Possibly via a short diversion to revisit The Handmaid’s Tale…
