Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo talks to John Wilson about the formative experiences and cultural influences that have had a profound effect on her work. Evaristo looks back on her early childhood in south London, the racism she encountered, and how she found her artistic voice attending a youth theatre group. She reveals the influence of a Catholic upbringing on her writing, discusses the influence of works by Ntozake Shange and Dylan Thomas, and explains how a personal relationship had a huge impact on her creativity.