Girl, Woman, Other. London: Hamish Hamilton, 2019.

BERNARDINE EVARISTO (b.1959)
Girl, Woman, Other. London: Hamish Hamilton, 2019.
A delightfully personal first edition, signed and annotated by the author with 681 words of insightful commentary on her influences and an account of the career-changing success of this Booker Prize winning novel. Girl, Woman, Other follows twelve people – ‘mostly women, mostly black’ – whose lives intersect to paint a vivid picture of contemporary Britain. The author’s notes provide a commentary on the issues of race and nationhood that are central to the narrative (‘the UK is made of many “nations” – not just 4’), while also accounting for her various sources of inspiration (‘this book is inspired by everyone I’ve ever known – in a sense’). The final annotation is a charming summary of the novel’s success: ‘This book has revolutionised my career! Since winning the Booker I have been propelled into the literary stratosphere […] Everything I could wish for my career has happened or is happening & I feel truly blessed.’ Other annotations and additions include a group of promotional stickers ‘from my Polish publisher’, an explanation of the Adinkra symbols that precede each chapter, and a signed photograph of the author in 1982 clipped onto the rear endpaper.
Octavo. Original blue boards, white lettering to spine, pictorial dust jacket.

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