I had a crush on him': Bernardine Evaristo on writing Mr Loverman
Briefly

Creating characters and unravelling their stories is an invigorating and unpredictable adventure into the unknown. It might be daunting sometimes, but when I'm in the zone, it's one helluva ride.
I felt deliciously consumed by my 74-year-old Caribbean protagonist, Barrington Jedidiah Walker Esq. He arrived easily, no birthing pains, and I found myself unwittingly talking to him in Barrington's Antiguan accent.
Barrington is a larger-than-life unreliable narrator who is complicated and passionate, with a strong and opinionated internal commentary. He's eager to regale me with his escapades and lay bare his traumas and dilemmas.
On the surface, Barrington is a traditional family man, married to his deeply religious wife, Carmel, for 50 years. The pair of them arrived from Antigua in 1960 and settled in Stoke Newington in north London.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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