Booker Prize winner the star attraction at FemFest 2025 in Limerick

BOOKER Prize winning author, Bernardine Evaristo was the guest of honour at FemFest 2025 at Mary Immaculate College.
The inspirational author read from her novel Girl, Woman, Other, which won the Booker Prize 2019 and was interviewed by broadcaster Ciana Campbell.
FemFest committee chair, Dr Kathryn Laing, of the Department of English Language & Literature said they were honoured to welcome Bernardine Evaristo to Limerick.
“As a longstanding advocate and activist for inclusion in literature and the arts, she has championed throughout her career the voices of the marginalised and created narratives that celebrate diversity, resilience and humanity.
“Her Booker Prize-winning novel, Girl, Woman, Other, copper-fastened her reputation as one of the leading feminist storytellers of our time, and as FemFest is a celebration of creativity, empowerment, and the female voices that are shaping and redefining our cultural landscape, it is fitting that she contributed her insights to the discussion in her conversation with Ciana Campbell,” said Dr Laing.

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An audience of 250 attended the event and were treated to a conversation covering topics including growing up, her family and Irish connections, race and racism, finding her tribe in theatre, how her writing has evolved and how winning Britain’s most prestigious literary prize in 2019 changed her life.
The first black woman and black British person to win the Booker Prize in its 50-year history, she also spoke at length about her memoir, Manifesto, and other works including her debut, Lara, and 2013 novel Mr Loverman, which was released last year as an eight-part BBC drama.
Bernardine Evaristo is the author of 10 books and numerous writings that span the genres of fiction, verse fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, literary criticism, journalism, and radio and theatre drama.
MIC FemFest is a biannual festival run by a committee comprising members of academic, professional services and student communities at Limerick's Mary Immaculate College.