Mr Loverman

This article is about the novel written by Bernardine Evaristo. For the song by Shabba Ranks, see Mr. Loverman.

Mr Loverman

First edition
Author	Bernardine Evaristo
Language	English
Publisher	Penguin (UK); Akashic Books (USA)
Publication date	August 2013 (UK); April 2014 (USA)
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print (paperback)
ISBN	978-1617752896
Followed by	Hello Mum

Mr Loverman is the seventh novel written by British-Nigerian author Bernardine Evaristo. Published by Penguin Books, UK, in 2013 ^[1] and Akashic Books, US, in 2014, ^{[2] [3]} Mr Loverman explores the life of Britain's older Caribbean community, through the perspective of a 74-year-old Antiguan-Londoner and closet homosexual, and his wife Carmel whose voice we hear in alternate chapters.

Reception

On The Omnivore, based on British press reviews, the book received an "omniscore" of 4.0 out of 5. ^[4] Culture Critic assessed critical response as an aggregated score of 82% based on British press reviews. ^{[5] [6]}

The novel was positively reviewed in The Guardian . ^[7] In 2014, Mr Loverman won the Jerwood Uncovered Prize. ^[8]

In 2024 Bernadine Evaristo wrote in The Guardian about how she created Barrington's Caribbean voice and that Carmel's chapters were added to the novel at a late stage after feedback from the publisher. ^[9]

Adaptation

In June 2023, the BBC and Fable Pictures announced an adaptation of the novel into an eight-part television series. ^[10] The series began broadcasting on 14 October 2024, and starred Lennie James, Ariyon Bakare and Sharon D. Clarke. ^{[11] [12]}

References

1. Evaristo, Bernardine. Mr Loverman. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
2. Evaristo, Bernardine. Mr. Loverman. Akashic Books. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
3. "Books". The Bernardine Evaristo website. Archived from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
4. "Mr Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo". The Omnivore. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
5. "Bernadine Evaristo - Mr Loverman". Culture Critic. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
6. "Mr Loverman". Bibliosurf (in French). 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
7. Maggie Gee (31 August 2013). "Mr Loverman Review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
8. "Jerwood Foundation". Jerwood Prize website. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
9. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/oct/12/i-had-a-crush-on-him-bernardine-evaristo-on-writing-mr-loverman.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
10. "BBC announces new drama Mr Loverman, starring Lennie James and adapted from the novel by Bernardine Evaristo". BBC. 6 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
11. Mangan, Lucy (14 October 2024). "Mr Loverman review – magnificent TV that will tear your heart open". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
12. Tate, Gabriel (4 November 2024). "Mr Loverman, finale review: a fittingly messy and heart-rending end to a fantastic drama". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 November 2024.