Bernardine Evaristo made history in 2019 when her novel Girl, Woman, Other won the Booker Prize, making her the first Black woman and first Black British person to win the award. Just three years later, Evaristo returned with her nonfiction debut, a memoir about her unconventional path to success—and advice on how to follow suit. “Creativity circulates freely in our imaginations, waiting for us to tap into it,” she writes. “It must not be bound by rules or censorship, yet we should not ignore its socio-political contexts.” From a set of “early knock-backs” to her relationship with queerness and the power of persistence, Evaristo leaves no stone unturned. —Laura Zornosa