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Louis de Bernières

ルイ・ド・ベルニエール

Rui do Bernieres

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1954-12-08 （Woolwich, London, England）
Nationality
British
Languages
English
Residence History
Surrey (grew up) → Woolwich, London (birth) → Bungay, Suffolk (residence) → Colombia (lived/worked as an English teacher)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Writer
Active Years
1990-
Affiliations
Royal Society of Literature (Fellow)
Memberships
Royal Society of Literature (Fellow)
Influenced By
Gabriel García Márquez, Latin American literature (magic realism)
Nominations
1994 Sunday Express Book of the Year (shortlisted)

Education

Grenham House school
Country: United Kingdom
Prep school education
Bradfield College
Country: United Kingdom
Independent boarding school education
Victoria University of Manchester
Country: United Kingdom
Attended for higher education; details unclear
Institute of Education, University of London (UCL Institute of Education)
Country: United Kingdom
Attended for teacher education-related studies
De Montfort University (honorary degree)
Degree: 名誉博士
Year of Graduation: 2008
Country: United Kingdom
Awarded an honorary doctorate in 2008

Awards

Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Best Book)
1995
Work: Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Category: 最優秀作品
Organization: Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Result: 受賞
Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
2006
Organization: Royal Society of Literature
Result: 選出
Honorary Doctorate
2008
Organization: De Montfort University
Result: 授与

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts

1990 Novel (magic realist / historical)

An early novel set in a Latin American-style setting mixing political turmoil with magical realism.

politicsmagic realismsociety

Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord

1991 Novel (magic realism)

Set in a Latin American context, blending political satire with fantastical elements.

powersatirecommunity

The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman

1992 Novel (Latin American-style)

A novel about family, religion, and social change.

familyreligionsocial change

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

1994 Historical novel (war novel)

Set on the island of Cephalonia during WWII; follows an Italian officer and the islanders in a story of love and war.

warlovecultural encountersmusic
Adaptations
  • [Film] Captain Corelli's Mandolin / John Madden (2001)
Translations
  • Translated into multiple languages

Red Dog

2001 Narrative non-fiction / novella

A warm tale inspired by a statue in the Pilbara region of Australia, based on a real dog.

friendshipnostalgiacommunity
Adaptations
  • [Film] Red Dog / Kriv Stenders (2011)
  • [Film (prequel)] Red Dog: True Blue / Kriv Stenders (2016)

Birds Without Wings

2004 Historical novel

Set in a small Turkish village, it portrays the tragic fates of diverse people from the late Ottoman Empire through WWI and the rise of Atatürk.

ethnicitywarlossmodernization

Notwithstanding

2009 Short story collection

A collection of short stories set in the fictional English village of Notwithstanding; includes autobiographical pieces.

rural lifesatireeveryday eccentricity

The Daniel Pitt Trilogy

2015 Historical fiction (trilogy)

A trilogy following WWI flying ace Daniel Pitt and the McCosh family across the 20th century, inspired by the author's grandfather.

warfamily historymemory

Bibliography

  • The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts (1990)
  • Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord (1991)
  • The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman (1992)
  • Captain Corelli's Mandolin (1994)
  • Red Dog (2001)
  • Birds Without Wings (2004)
  • A Partisan's Daughter (2008)
  • The Dust that Falls from Dreams (2015)
  • Blue Dog (2016)
  • So Much Life Left Over (2018)
  • The Autumn of the Ace (2020)
  • Light Over Liskeard (2023)
  • Notwithstanding: Stories from an English Village (2009)
  • Labels and Other Stories (2019)
  • Sunday Morning at the Centre of the World (play for voices) (2001)

Adaptations

  • Captain Corelli's Mandolin (film, 2001)
  • Red Dog (film, 2011)
  • Red Dog: True Blue (film, 2016; prequel)

Translations of Works

  • Works translated into at least 11 languages

Style & Themes

Literary Style
narrative influenced by magic realismlyrical and musical proserealism rooted in historical and regional contexts
Recurring Motifs
musicwar and its effectscommunity and familycultural intersections

Health

  • Dystonia
    不明
    Reported to affect his ability to play musical instruments

Legacy

He gained international fame with Captain Corelli's Mandolin; his works have been translated into many languages and adapted for film. The novel boosted tourism to Cephalonia and he is regarded as an important voice in contemporary British literature.

Academic Societies

  • Royal Society of Literature

In Popular Culture

  • Tourism on Cephalonia popularised by Captain Corelli's Mandolin
  • Increased public recognition due to film adaptations

Quotes

  • “Britain really is an immense lunatic asylum. …we believe in the right to eccentricity.”
    Source: Afterword to Notwithstanding (2009)

Trivia

  • Joined Sandhurst officer training at 18 but left after four months.
  • Selected for Granta's '20 Best of Young British Novelists' in 1993.
  • Plays several instruments (flute, mandolin, clarinet, guitar) though he describes himself as an enthusiastic amateur.
  • Separated from partner in 2009; later gained equal custodial rights for his children.