Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Famous at 70: Meet African Nobel winning writer Abdulrazak Gurnah

22/06/2022

Famous at 70: Meet African Nobel winning writer Abdulrazak GurnahA British-Tanzanian Nobel-winning writer Abdulrazak Gurnah, has suddenly become famous in his 70s spending his lifetime defying colonialism

by Agence France-Presse

22-06-2022 11:07

in Books

Tanzanian-born British novelist, academic and Nobel Prize in Literature in 2021 Abdulrazak Gurnah, poses during a photo session in Paris on 16 June, 2022 Photo: JOEL SAGET / AFP

Abdulrazak Gurnah, the British-Tanzanian Nobel-winning writer, has spent a lifetime confronting colonialism and racial politics and welcomes a new generation keeping these issues alive.

--

The author has suddenly become a famous name in his 70s after winning last year's Nobel Prize for Literature.

Drawing on the brutal realities of colonialism in Africa and the dislocation and poverty he experienced when he came to England, novels such as Paradise, Desertion and Gravel Heart explore racism, exile and the legacy of European domination.

Gurnah says his generation had a particularly complex relationship with colonialism.

--

ALSO READ: Bill Cosby found guilty of sexually abusing teen in 1970s

AFRICAN NOBEL WINNING WRITER For people of my father's generation, colonialism was something they saw arriving, implanting itself, dominating. But they didn't lose a sense of who they were,

he told AFP during a trip to Paris. (My generation) couldn't just brush it off. We could see that in fact much has been done progress in medicine, technology, engineering we are more urgently forced to try and engage and understand that relationship.

He welcomes the recent wave of anti-colonial protests, often focused on statues and other symbols of the era.

I don't care if they topple statues or not. But the symbolism is good,

he said. And it provokes all these right-wingers to come out and start crying and complaining. Good. It means the issue is kept alive.

A difficult time' Gurnah grew up in Zanzibar, which became part of Tanzania after gaining independence from Britain in 1963.

A year later, a Communist-inspired revolution led to problems for Gurnah's Arab-origin family.

--

His father came from a Yemeni family and his uncle was a wealthy trader of fish, dates and spices.

They became targets when the Communists overthrew Zanzibar's sultan and his mainly Arab government.

It was a difficult time for everybody, particularly people who the government considered to be foreigners. It was part of a racialisation process, quite unjust,

Gurnah recalled. His family supported the Zanzibar Nationalist Party, which had tried to create a shared identity rather than focus on separate ethnicities.

We were saying: we're Zanzibaris we're not Indians, Arabs, Africans. We don't want to be racialised,

he said. Of course the racial politics won, but I still want to adhere to: I'm a Zanzibari, I'm not a Yemeni, this or that, or an African.

That debate found strange echoes after his Nobel victory, with Arabs seeking to claim him as one of their own.

The Arabs celebrated me as a Yemeni writer. I said well, fine, if you want. That's not how I feel, but it makes everybody happy, so why not?

ALSO READ: We are human beings': Transgender rugby player says ban is punishment

African literature' Gurnah fled to Britain and spent years in poverty before managing to educate himself into a career as an academic and author.

With South Africa's Damon Galgut winning the Booker Prize and Senegal's Mohamed Mbougar Sarr becoming the first sub-Saharan African to win France's Prix Goncourt, 2021 proved to be a landmark year for African literature.

Gurnah knows the label of African literature is far too vague since it encompasses such a vast and diverse continent, but he takes a relaxed attitude.

Those who use the term often already have a conception of African literature, They might exclude white South Africans, or North Africans, or Ethiopians and Somalis.

he said. (But) if we use it symbolically, it's OK, I can live with that and I don't want to argue with anybody.

Agence France-Presse

POLL: What is your most appealing feature of Hollywoodbets Durban July? VOTE NOW!
LINK: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/books/african-nobel-winning-wr...
See more stories from thesouthafrican

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

05/05/2026

NBC Sports' NBA Playoff Viewership Up 58%

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

U.S. Court Upholds Some Patents in LG ATSC 3.0 Infringement Case

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

Gray Media and Allen Media Group Close Station Transactions

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

Digital Domain Welcomes Award-Nominated VFX Supervisor Jelmer Boskma

Digital Domain Welcomes Award-Nominated VFX Supervisor Jelmer Boskma Brie Clayton May 4, 2026 0 Comments Digital Domain, a global leader in visual eff...

04/05/2026

just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026 are available to download!

just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026 are available to download! More Details:At NAB 2026, ToolsOnAir showcased just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026, ...

04/05/2026

just:in mac pro 2026 - The Next Level of Professional Recording on macOS

just:in mac pro 2026 - The Next Level of Professional Recording on macOS More Details:The headline innovation in just:in mac pro 2026 is the new Auto format si...

04/05/2026

SVG Sit-Down: NEP Americas Mike Werteen on How Great Tech, Better People Drive Success

Hardware is still an emphasis - Supershooter 11 is new, and REMI-based 65 is in ...

04/05/2026

Beyond 90 Minutes: How K League's Soccer Blueprint for Growth Has Lessons for Everyone

Head of International Business Development Min Joo Kim explores the league's...

04/05/2026

Audio-Technica ATND1061 and ATUC Discussion Systems Certified for Crestron Automate VX

Audio-Technica has announced that its ATND1061 ceiling array microphone and ATUC...

04/05/2026

Triple B Media Launches Bowling TV, a 24/7 FAST Channel Dedicated to Bowling

Triple B Media has launched Bowling TV, a free ad-supported television (FAST) channel dedicated to bowling. The channel is available on Prime Video, LG Channels...

04/05/2026

PlayMetrics Acquires SportsEngine from Versant

PlayMetrics, a provider of operations management software for youth sports organizations, has announced the completion of its acquisition of substantially all t...

04/05/2026

IHSE GmbH Appoints Dr. Thomas Niessen as CEO

IHSE GmbH has announced that Dr. Thomas Niessen has joined as CEO and Managing Director, effective May 1, 2026. He joins Frank Breitenfelder, who has served as ...

04/05/2026

PMY Group Deploys Optic Crowd Intelligence Platform at Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix

PMY Group deployed its AI-powered crowd intelligence platform, Optic, at the For...

04/05/2026

Behind The Mic: Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless to Reunite for First Take Episode; Donna Brothers Worked Final Kentucky Derby

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

04/05/2026

Spotify Brings Fashion and Podcasting Together With Mina Le and Mia Calabrese

Last week, guests gathered in New York City for On Air, In Style: An Evening with Spotify-a night of conversation, culture, and connection celebrating the inter...

04/05/2026

Avid introduce Pro Tools 2026.4

New music & post-production features added Avid's latest DAW update delivers an array of helpful features aimed at both music and post-production users,...

04/05/2026

SAG-AFTRA, Studios Reach Tentative Agreement

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/05/2026

Study: Paramount-WBD Deal Signals New Era of Streaming Scale

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/05/2026

Student Spotlight: Joshua Griffin

Student Spotlight: Joshua Griffin The New Orleans native, who was named the 2026 student commencement speaker for Boston Conservatory at Berklee, talks about ...

04/05/2026

It's Andrew! stomps onto screens this June

It's Andrew! stomps onto screens this June 4 May 2026 The ABC and Screen Australia are delighted to announce that brand new preschool series, It's Andr...

03/05/2026

Melbourne Instruments' Nina gains Braids engine

Polysynth now features Mutable Instruments' macro oscillators Melbourne Instruments have just released a free firmware update that brings the engine beh...

03/05/2026

Introducing the new Mistika Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective for every user

Introducing the new Mistika Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective f...

03/05/2026

Introducing the new Mistake Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective for every user

Introducing the new Mistake Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective f...

03/05/2026

Filming begins on the third and final season of Breathless

Back to All News Filming begins on the third and final season of Breathless Entertainment 03 May 2026 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Discover the vi...

02/05/2026

Release Rundown: What to Watch in May, From Saccharine to Tuner

(L-R) Dustin Hoffman and Leo Woodall appear in Tuner by Daniel Roher, an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of Sundance In...

02/05/2026

Warm Audio launch the Reamper

Versatile re-amping tool announced Warm Audio are best known for their recreations of sought-after vintage studio gear, but their latest release brings a ne...

02/05/2026

FCC Releases Tentative Agenda for May Open Meeting

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/05/2026

Sinclair Remains Bullish on Station M&A

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/05/2026

NABLF Announces 2026 Broadcast Leadership Training Award Winners

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/05/2026

Gravity Media Taps Custom Consoles for Work on Production Center

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/05/2026

May 01, 2026

Scripps Research immunologist Dennis Burton elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences A leader in broadly neutralizing antibodies, Burton has helped driv...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

Ratings Roundup: NBA Playoffs Return to NBC Sports up 38%; NFL Draft Down 12% Overall From 2025

Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...

01/05/2026

BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing Appoints Will Wright as Chief Operating Officer to Drive Global Growth and Operational Excellence

BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing ( BKB ), today announced the appointment of Will Wright ...

01/05/2026

NAB Rewind: Lawo's Andreas Hilmer on the Power of the Edge One AV Stagebox

Lawo has been at the center of the industry's transition to IP and other next-generation technologies. At NAB 2026, its story was the Edge One AV stagebox, ...

01/05/2026

Kentucky Derby 152 to Air Across 19 Networks in 170-Plus Territories

HBA Media, acting on behalf of NBC Sports and Churchill Downs Incorporated, has announced broadcast and streaming distribution for Kentucky Derby 152, taking pl...

01/05/2026

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Barbara Kopple, the Director of American Dream

By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...

01/05/2026

Find Out Which The Devil Wears Prada 2' Character You Are With Our New Playlist

Florals for spring? Groundbreaking. But a playlist that tells you which The Devi...

01/05/2026

Olivia Rodrigo Takes Over FC Barcelona Jersey for El Clsico Match at Spotify Camp Nou

One of the world's biggest popstars is headed to El Cl sico. Later this mont...

01/05/2026

Heritage Audio announce the Baby RAM Black Edition

Limited-edition model celebrates 15th anniversary Heritage Audio's range of monitor controllers has just gained a new member, the Baby RAM Black Edition...

01/05/2026

Universal Audio release UAD Enigmatic '82 Overdrive Special Amp

Dumble recreation now available as UAD plug-in Along with their renowned processing plug-ins, Universal Audio have been steadily introducing emulations of c...

01/05/2026

UPDATED: Republican AGs Join Nexstar-Tegna Antitrust Suit

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/05/2026

Broadcaster Draper Media Names Bill Vernon President

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/05/2026

Analysts: 'Hollywood's Vertical Video Strategy Is Dead Wrong'

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/05/2026

Lightware UK celebrates new London showroom with launch e...

To celebrate the opening of its new showroom and office, Lightware UK hosted a dedicated launch event at the new London location. The event welcomed partners, c...

01/05/2026

Calrec Puts Broadcaster Choice Centre Stage at MPTS 2026

Choice without compromise The broadcast industrys transformation is accelerating, and traditional broadcasters are having to fundamentally reinvent how they o...