British-Nigerian writer Bernardine Evaristo is the award-winning
author of eight books and numerous other published and produced
works that span the genres of novels, poetry, verse fiction, short
fiction, essays, literary criticism, and radio and theatre drama.
Her latest novel, Girl, Woman, Other (Hamish Hamilton/Penguin,
2019), was joint winner with Margaret Atwood's The Testaments of
the 2019 Booker Prize for Fiction. She is Professor of Creative
Writing at Brunel University London. Her first verse novel Lara
(1997) was republished by Bloodaxe in 2009. She co-edited the
Spread the Word new poets anthology Ten (Bloodaxe Books/The
Complete Works, 2010) with Daljit Nagra. Her verse novel The
Emperor’s Babe was adapted into a BBC Radio 4 play in 2013 and her
novella Hello Mum was adapted as a BBC Radio 4 play in 2012. In
2015 she wrote and presented a two-part BBC Radio 4 documentary
called Fiery Inspiration: Amiri Baraka and the Black Arts Movement.
In 2019 she is the inaugural Woolwich Laureate, appointed by the
Greenwich & Docklands International Festival.
Daljit Nagra was born and brought up in West London and Sheffield.
He lives in London, and works as a secondary school English
teacher. In 2003, he won the Smith/Doorstop pamphlet competition
with Oh my Rub!, a Poetry Book Society Pamphlet Choice which was
chosen as one of the Guardian's Poetry Books of the Year. In 2004,
his poem Look We Have Coming to Dover! won the Forward Prize for
Best Single Poem, and this became the title of his first
collection, published by Faber & Faber in 2007. It went on to win
the 2007 Forward Poetry Prize for Best First Collection and the
2008 Arts Council England Decibel Award. It relates to the
experience of British-born Indians, and often employs 'Punglish' -
English spoken by Indian Punjabi immigrants. Look We Have Coming to
Dover! was shortlisted for several further awards, including the
2007 Costa Poetry Award, and the 2007 Jerwood Aldeburgh First
Collection Prize.
This thrilling, moving, challenging and inspiring new anthology
introduces 10 sparkling new talents who demonstrate the richness,
energy and confidence of the poetic voice in our multicultural
country. It is a joyful and important moment in publishing.
*Carol Ann Duffy*
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