Postcolonial London: Revisiting marginal voices and myths of Englishness in The Emperor's Babe

This research paper explores Bernardine Evaristo's novel, The Emperor's Babe (2001) as an innovative reimagining of third-century Roman London through a postcolonial lens. The novel challenges dominant historical narratives that represent the notion of ethnic homogeneity and true Englishness by centring the voices of marginalized characters, such as Zuleika, a mixed-race protagonist, and the Roman emperor. By depicting ancient London as a dynamic, multicultural, and multiracial society, Evaristo dismantles the myth of a singular, monolithic British identity rooted in racial purity. Through its innovative blending of historical and contemporary literary techniques, The Emperor's Babe redefines the historical fiction genre within contemporary Anglophone literature. This study critically examines Zuleika's transformation, focusing on her resistance to societal norms and the oppressive structures of her time. Her defiance and self-assertion serve as a broader metaphor for reclaiming erased minority experiences and voices in historical discourse. The paper also interrogates the novel's portrayal of power dynamics and social stratification in Roman London, drawing parallels to contemporary issues of race, belonging, and identity in Britain. Ultimately, this research argues that The Emperor's Babe functions both as a reclamation of marginalized histories and a critique of persistent myths surrounding race and cultural identity. It underscores Evaristo's contribution to the decolonization of historical narratives and the ongoing discourse on race and representation in literature.