De Bernières, Louis (1954- )

English writer. Using his own brand of classical realism, he uses little known historical events to explore issues of power, freedom, political ideology, and love. He is best known for his novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin (1994, filmed 2001), which won the 1995 Commonwealth Writers' Prize. He was the first British novelist to win this award.

De Bernières's early novels take place in South America and are both magical and violent. They include The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts (1990), Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord (1991), and The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman (1994). Birds Without Wings (2005) is set during the decline of the Ottoman Empire.

De Bernières was born in London, England, and gained degrees from the University of Manchester (1977) and the University of London (1985). He served in the British Army for four months at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy (1973-74), worked as a teacher and cowboy in Colombia in 1974, and as a teacher in London, England, in 1981.