Mr Loverman

RECIPIENT OF THE WOMEN’S PRIZE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD Treat yourself to this joyful, big-hearted read from Booker Prize-winning novelist Bernardine Evaristo, part of our Penguin Essentials series which spotlights the very best of our modern classics 'Bernardine Evaristo can take any story from any time and turn it into something vibrating with life' Ali Smith Barrington Jedidiah Walker is seventy-four and leads a double life. Born and bred in Antigua, he's lived in Hackney since the sixties. A flamboyant, wise-cracking local character with a dapper taste in retro suits and a fondness for quoting Shakespeare, Barrington is a husband, father and grandfather - but he is also secretly homosexual, lovers with his great childhood friend, Morris. His deeply religious and disappointed wife, Carmel, thinks he sleeps with other women. When their marriage goes into meltdown, Barrington wants to divorce Carmel and live with Morris, but after a lifetime of fear and deception, will he manage to break away? Mr Loverman is a ground-breaking exploration of Britain's older Caribbean community, which explodes cultural myths and fallacies and shows the extent of what can happen when people fear the consequences of being true to themselves. 'Sublime' Telegraph 'Rip-roaring . . . she says things about modern Britain that no one else does ' Guardian 'Brilliant ' Independent

RECIPIENT OF THE WOMEN’S PRIZE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD Treat yourself to this joyful, big-hearted read from Booker Prize-winning novelist Bernardine Evaristo, part of our Penguin Essentials series which spotlights the very best of our modern classics 'Bernardine Evaristo can take any story from any time and turn it into something vibrating with life' Ali Smith Barrington Jedidiah Walker is seventy-four and leads a double life. Born and bred in Antigua, he's lived in Hackney since the sixties. A flamboyant, wise-cracking local character with a dapper taste in retro suits and a fondness for quoting Shakespeare, Barrington is a husband, father and grandfather - but he is also secretly homosexual, lovers with his great childhood friend, Morris. His deeply religious and disappointed wife, Carmel, thinks he sleeps with other women. When their marriage goes into meltdown, Barrington wants to divorce Carmel and live with Morris, but after a lifetime of fear and deception, will he manage to break away? Mr Loverman is a ground-breaking exploration of Britain's older Caribbean community, which explodes cultural myths and fallacies and shows the extent of what can happen when people fear the consequences of being true to themselves. 'Sublime' Telegraph 'Rip-roaring . . . she says things about modern Britain that no one else does ' Guardian 'Brilliant ' Independent

NOW A MAJOR BBC TELEVISION DRAMA STARRING LENNIE JAMES RECIPIENT OF THE WOMEN’S PRIZE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD A moving and funny novel about an exuberant, closeted family man living as himself for the first time in over 60 years, from the Booker-prize winning author of Girl, Woman, Other . *** Barrington Jedidiah Walker is seventy-four and leads a double life. Born and bred in Antigua, he's lived in Hackney since the sixties. A flamboyant, wise-cracking local character with a dapper taste in retro suits and a fondness for quoting Shakespeare, Barrington is a husband, father and grandfather - but he is also secretly lovers with his great childhood friend, Morris. His deeply religious and disappointed wife, Carmel, thinks he sleeps with other women. When their marriage goes into meltdown, Barrington wants to divorce Carmel and live with Morris, but after a lifetime of fear and deception, will he manage to break away? Mr Loverman is a ground-breaking exploration of Britain's older Caribbean community, which explodes cultural myths and fallacies and shows the extent of what can happen when people fear the consequences of being true to themselves. *** ‘Transforms our often-narrow perceptions of gay men in England’ Independent ' Brokeback Mountain with ackee and saltfish and old people' Dawn French ‘Heartbreaking yet witty, this is a story that needed to be told’ Observer

NOW A MAJOR BBC TELEVISION DRAMA STARRING LENNIE JAMES RECIPIENT OF THE WOMEN’S PRIZE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD A moving and funny novel about an exuberant, closeted family man living as himself for the first time in over 60 years, from the Booker-prize winning author of Girl, Woman, Other . *** Barrington Jedidiah Walker is seventy-four and leads a double life. Born and bred in Antigua, he's lived in Hackney since the sixties. A flamboyant, wise-cracking local character with a dapper taste in retro suits and a fondness for quoting Shakespeare, Barrington is a husband, father and grandfather - but he is also secretly lovers with his great childhood friend, Morris. His deeply religious and disappointed wife, Carmel, thinks he sleeps with other women. When their marriage goes into meltdown, Barrington wants to divorce Carmel and live with Morris, but after a lifetime of fear and deception, will he manage to break away? Mr Loverman is a ground-breaking exploration of Britain's older Caribbean community, which explodes cultural myths and fallacies and shows the extent of what can happen when people fear the consequences of being true to themselves. *** ‘Transforms our often-narrow perceptions of gay men in England’ Independent ' Brokeback Mountain with ackee and saltfish and old people' Dawn French ‘Heartbreaking yet witty, this is a story that needed to be told’ Observe

NOW A MAJOR BBC TELEVISION DRAMA STARRING LENNIE JAMES RECIPIENT OF THE WOMEN’S PRIZE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD A moving and funny novel about an exuberant, closeted family man living as himself for the first time in over 60 years, from the Booker-prize winning author of Girl, Woman, Other . *** Barrington Jedidiah Walker is seventy-four and leads a double life. Born and bred in Antigua, he's lived in Hackney since the sixties. A flamboyant, wise-cracking local character with a dapper taste in retro suits and a fondness for quoting Shakespeare, Barrington is a husband, father and grandfather - but he is also secretly lovers with his great childhood friend, Morris. His deeply religious and disappointed wife, Carmel, thinks he sleeps with other women. When their marriage goes into meltdown, Barrington wants to divorce Carmel and live with Morris, but after a lifetime of fear and deception, will he manage to break away? Mr Loverman is a ground-breaking exploration of Britain's older Caribbean community, which explodes cultural myths and fallacies and shows the extent of what can happen when people fear the consequences of being true to themselves. *** ‘Transforms our often-narrow perceptions of gay men in England’ Independent ' Brokeback Mountain with ackee and saltfish and old people' Dawn French ‘Heartbreaking yet witty, this is a story that needed to be told’ Observer

NOW A MAJOR BBC TELEVISION DRAMA STARRING LENNIE JAMES RECIPIENT OF THE WOMEN’S PRIZE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD A moving and funny novel about an exuberant, closeted family man living as himself for the first time in over 60 years, from the Booker-prize winning author of Girl, Woman, Other . *** Barrington Jedidiah Walker is seventy-four and leads a double life. Born and bred in Antigua, he's lived in Hackney since the sixties. A flamboyant, wise-cracking local character with a dapper taste in retro suits and a fondness for quoting Shakespeare, Barrington is a husband, father and grandfather - but he is also secretly lovers with his great childhood friend, Morris. His deeply religious and disappointed wife, Carmel, thinks he sleeps with other women. When their marriage goes into meltdown, Barrington wants to divorce Carmel and live with Morris, but after a lifetime of fear and deception, will he manage to break away? Mr Loverman is a ground-breaking exploration of Britain's older Caribbean community, which explodes cultural myths and fallacies and shows the extent of what can happen when people fear the consequences of being true to themselves. *** ‘Transforms our often-narrow perceptions of gay men in England’ Independent ' Brokeback Mountain with ackee and saltfish and old people' Dawn French ‘Heartbreaking yet witty, this is a story that needed to be told’ Observe

Barry Jedidiah Walker er 74 år og lever et dobbeltliv. Han bor i Londons Hackney-kvarter, hvor han er kendt som en flamboyant og morsom personlighed, der går nydeligt klædt i retro jakkesæt og citerer Shakespeare for et godt ord. Han er far, bedstefar og gift med Carmel – men han er også homoseksuel og har gennem seks årtier haft en hemmelig affære med sin barndomsven Morris. Barry og Carmel kommer fra den caribiske ø Antigua og har kendt hinanden, siden de var helt unge. Men Barry blev ikke ligefrem den førsteelsker, Carmel drømte om. Hun tror, at Barry er utro med andre kvinder og søger trøst i sin bibelkreds. Da ægteskabet er på opløsningens rand, drømmer Barry om at flytte sammen med Morris. Men tør han det efter et helt liv med skam og hemmeligheder? Mr. Loverman er en banebrydende roman, som med humor og hjerte udforsker kulturelle myter om kærlighed, seksualitet og familie. „Både hjerteskærende og morsom – en historie, som er vigtig og nødvendig at fortælle.“ THE OBSERVER Bernardine Evaristo (f. 1959 i London) er en prisvindende forfatter, redaktør, kritiker, dramatiker og essayist. Hun fik sit store gennembrud både i England og internationalt med romanen Pige, kvinde, andet , som hun modtog Booker-prisen for i 2019. I 2020 vandt hun ikke alene prisen for årets bog i Storbritannien, men blev også kåret som årets forfatter. Mr. Loverman udkom i 2013 og er hendes anden roman på dansk.

Barry Jedidiah Walker er 74 år og lever et dobbeltliv. Han bor i Londons Hackney-kvarter, hvor han er kendt som en flamboyant og morsom personlighed, der går nydeligt klædt i retro jakkesæt og citerer Shakespeare for et godt ord. Han er far, bedstefar og gift med Carmel – men han er også homoseksuel og har gennem seks årtier haft en hemmelig affære med sin barndomsven Morris. Barry og Carmel kommer fra den caribiske ø Antigua og har kendt hinanden, siden de var helt unge. Men Barry blev ikke ligefrem den førsteelsker, Carmel drømte om. Hun tror, at Barry er utro med andre kvinder og søger trøst i sin bibelkreds. Da ægteskabet er på opløsningens rand, drømmer Barry om at flytte sammen med Morris. Men tør han det efter et helt liv med skam og hemmeligheder? Mr. Loverman er en banebrydende roman, som med humor og hjerte udforsker kulturelle myter om kærlighed, seksualitet og familie. „Både hjerteskærende og morsom – en historie, som er vigtig og nødvendig at fortælle.“ THE OBSERVER Bernardine Evaristo (f. 1959 i London) er en prisvindende forfatter, redaktør, kritiker, dramatiker og essayist. Hun fik sit store gennembrud både i England og internationalt med romanen Pige, kvinde, andet , som hun modtog Booker-prisen for i 2019. I 2020 vandt hun ikke alene prisen for årets bog i Storbritannien, men blev også kåret som årets forfatter. Mr. Loverman udkom i 2013 og er hendes anden roman på dansk.

Mit trockenem Humor und scharfem Blick entlarvt Bernardine Evaristo die Irrtümer, die unseren Entscheidungen oft zugrunde liegen. Mit welchen Konsequenzen müssen wir rechnen, wenn wir uns treu bleiben wollen? Und was, wenn die Angst vor diesen Konsequenzen einfach zu groß ist? Barrington Jedidiah Walker, geboren in Antigua, liebt Retro-Anzüge, Rum und Shakespeare. Mit seiner Frau Carmel führt er ein beschauliches Leben in Hackney: zwei erwachsene Kinder, ein heimeliges Haus, Ruhestand. Doch unter der perfekten Oberfläche führt Barry ein Doppelleben. Seit Kindertagen liebt er seinen Freund Morris, der wie er als junger Mann von Antigua nach England ausgewandert ist - und Morris liebt ihn. Die tief religiöse und von ihrer Ehe bitter enttäuschte Carmel ahnt, dass ihr Mann sie betrügt, allerdings hat sie keine Ahnung, mit wem. Während sich die Ehe der beiden auf den unvermeidlichen Abgrund zubewegt, entscheidet Barry, dass er sich endlich zu Morris bekennen will. Aber ist das möglich, nach all den Jahren im Verborgenen?

"Mr. Loverman" er Bernardine Evaristos hjertevarme, vigtige og sprudlende roman om en ældre mands dobbeltliv. Barry Jedidiah Walker er trods sine 74 år stadig et farverigt og charmerende kendt ansigt i Londons Hackney-kvarter. Her spankulerer han rundt i sine flotte jakkesæt, og ofte ryster han lige et passende Shakespeare-citat ud af ærmet. Han er blevet bedstefar og er gift med Carmel. Men han lever også et dobbeltliv. Gennem snart 60 år har han haft en affære med sin barndomsven Morris. Carmel kan mærke noget er galt, og søger tryghed i sin bibelkreds. Deres ægteskab er ved at smuldre, og Barry må konfrontere sig selv: Tør han søge lykken med Morris? Den prisvindende forfatter, Bernardine Evaristo, udforsker kærligheden, seksualiteten og familiens myter i "Mr. Loverman" med en levende nysgerrighed og et stort hjerte, der er svær at stå for.