Henry De Berniere

Born in London in 1954, Louis de Bernières grew up in a military family and spent part of his childhood in the Middle East before being educated in England. He briefly entered army officer training, then later studied at university and worked a range of jobs before turning to fiction.

He first gained attention with his early novels set in Latin America, including The War of Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts, Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord, and The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman. His widest acclaim came with Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (1994), a bestselling novel set on the Greek island of Cephalonia during the Second World War.

Alongside novels, he has also written poetry and nonfiction, and he is known for fiction that mixes humor, political awareness, romance, and a strong sense of place. His work often explores how ordinary lives are shaped by history, conflict, and exile.