The manifesto of Bernadine Evaristo

Former U.S. President Barack Obama listed her novel as among his 19 favourite books of 2019. Now the author of eight books, Bernadine admitted that the sales of her first five books were so disappointing that she was tempted to give up writing entirely.

Now with her the Booker prize-winning offering, her status is assured.

Another volume from her pen has just been published and the title means the message is unmistakable: ‘Manifesto: On never giving up’. Bernadine did not give up despite early disappointments, and has reached the situation where publishers rush to offer her advances for anything she writes.

So much in life depends on never giving up. Thomas Edison, often described as America’s greatest inventor tried hundreds of items before finding the perfect filament for the electric light bulb. He remarked that invention was 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

Sir Walter Scott was a prolific novelist.

The old writer’s motto, ‘No day without its line’ was never more faithfully followed. He was at his desk about dawn, packing in a few hours of writing before the hordes of sightseers arrived at his Abbotsford home.

He did not let sickness deter him, writing in his dairy that even though he was suffering from a stunning headache, ‘I wrought therefore all afternoon’.

On one occasion in Edinburgh, a group of carefree young law students were socialising, and one drew the attention of his colleagues to an office window on the other side of the street.

All that they could see was an unwearied hand, filling page after page.

The indolent young men were struck by the sight, and concluded that the hand belonged to some stupid, dogged clerk.

‘No’, said one of the company, familiar with the area ‘I know what hand it is ..’tis Walter Scott’s’.

Bernadine Evaristo would surely endorse the remark of the great Irish orator Edmund Burke, ‘Never despair, but if you do, work on in despair’.

Jesus expects such dogged discipline from his followers. Once, when surrounded by large crowds, he warned them to count the cost of discipleship. He spoke of a man building a tower, who had failed to count the cost, and was consequently ridiculed by others who said, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’ (Luke 14; 30).

The parable of the soils (Mark4; 4-20) outlines the reactions of four different types of hearers to the proclamation of God’s truth. Two types, likened to seed sown on stony ground or among thorns, make a promising beginning. In one case, persecution and opposition causes them to fall away, while with the others it is the subtle attraction of wealth and affluence.

So much in life depends on simply keeping on, keeping on.