Louis de Bernières is one of the foremost novelists writing in Britain at the moment. His first three novels, The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts (1990), Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord (1991) and The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman (1992), were heavily influenced by South American literature, and illustrate his forays into magical realism. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Best Book), became a worldwide bestseller, has been translated into over 30 languages, adapted into a stage and a film. Although it set him firmly on the world literary map, he believes his best novel is Birds Without Wings (2004), shortlisted for the 2004 Whitbread Novel Award and the 2005 Commonwealth Writers Prize (Eurasia Region, Best Book). Although still planning to write at least one more epic, de Bernieres talks about his love of poetry and how his writing style has changed over the years. Mr de Bernières appears courtesy of the British Council.