POPULARITY
En Afrique du Sud, la fondation Nelson Mandela a invité, à l'occasion de sa 22ème conférence annuelle, l'auteur d'origine tanzanienne Abdulrazak Gurnah, prix Nobel de littérature 2021, à venir parler des questions d'identité, de migration, et d'appartenance. L'écrivain installé au Royaume-Uni a publié dix romans, dont Près de la mer, qui a reçu le prix RFI « Témoin du monde » en 2007. Il continue toujours à écrire et un nouvel ouvrage devrait sortir en mars, en anglais. Il répond, à l'occasion de son déplacement à Johannesburg, aux questions de Claire Bargelès. RFI : Abdulrazak Gurnah, bonjour. Quel message avez-vous envie de transmettre, cette année, au travers de cette plateforme offerte par la Fondation Nelson Mandela, qui a vu défiler par le passé des figures comme Desmond Tutu et Barack Obama ?Pour être honnête, je n'ai pas écouté ce qu'ils ont dit, mais je peux très bien l'imaginer, car lorsque l'on doit connecter son discours au nom de Nelson Mandela, on va forcément parler de justice ou des ressources que l'on peut déployer face à l'oppression et la terreur.Ayant vous-même quitté Zanzibar en 1967, pour un meilleur avenir en Angleterre, vos écrits parlent beaucoup de l'exil, de l'étranger qui arrive dans un nouveau pays, pour trouver refuge. Est-ce aussi un message pour l'Afrique du Sud en proie aux tensions xénophobes ?Cette question ne concerne pas uniquement l'Afrique du Sud, ces mêmes problèmes touchent beaucoup d'autres endroits, en Europe, en Amérique du Nord. C'est un phénomène important de notre époque, car on observe de larges déplacements de populations. Ce n'est pas quelque chose de nouveau dans notre histoire humaine, mais désormais le mouvement se fait des pays du Sud vers les pays du Nord. Et cela a créé une panique. Certains y répondent de façon humaine, mais pas tous.Votre conférence s'intitule « une exploration de notre humanité partagée » : souhaitez-vous remettre l'accent sur le concept sud-africain de l'« Ubuntu », basé sur la solidarité et le fait de se reconnaître en l'autre ?Je suppose que oui. Mais ce n'est pas parce qu'on l'appelle ici « Ubuntu » que c'est une invention sud-africaine, d'autres endroits ont le même concept, sous un autre nom. Cela se résume, en fait, à la même chose, à cette idée que l'on doit apprendre à recevoir l'autre, dans nos cœurs et nos esprits, et à ne pas créer de barrières. En d'autres mots, il faut réaliser qu'il y a tant de choses que l'on a en commun. Parmi les façons d'y parvenir, on peut lire les histoires d'autres gens, pour mieux les connaître, écouter leur musique et comprendre leurs problèmes.Votre œuvre revient également sur les traces laissées par la colonisation, sur le poids du passé : diriez-vous que ces questions de mémoire continuent de travailler l'Afrique dans son ensemble ?Je ne pense pas que cela se cantonne à l'Afrique, ce sont des questions essentielles. Lorsqu'un auteur écrit sur la migration des Irlandais aux États-Unis, c'est la même démarche, pour essayer de comprendre la signification de s'établir ailleurs, et d'être un étranger dans un autre pays. Mais comme je l'ai dit tout à l'heure, cela concerne les Africains d'une façon beaucoup plus dramatique, et les habitants du Sud en général, qui partent en grand nombre, en quête d'une vie meilleure. Les Européens ont fait ça pendant des siècles, se rendant en Amérique du Nord, en Australie, en Afrique du Sud… Et ils ont forcé les personnes qu'ils ont trouvées sur place à se déplacer, ou les ont parfois tuées. Donc ce n'est pas un nouveau phénomène.Que vous a apporté votre prix Nobel, reçu il y a trois ans ? Qu'est-ce qui a changé depuis ?Cela m'a rendu très heureux. Pour beaucoup de gens dans le monde, mon travail est devenu intéressant et j'ai désormais nombre de nouveaux lecteurs, dans des langues différentes. Et puis, c'est aussi, bien sûr, une sorte d'affirmation, comme si quelqu'un vous disait « je pense que tu es un très bon écrivain », donc merci beaucoup !Vous êtes le cinquième auteur du continent africain à recevoir le prix Nobel de littérature : existe-t-il encore une sous-exposition des écrivains africains et avez-vous un souhait de voir quelqu'un, en particulier, être récompensé à votre suite le 10 octobre prochain ?Je n'aime pas vraiment ces questions qui rattachent les auteurs au pays d'où ils viennent, car cela nous ramène à des divisions continentales ou nationales. On parle de ces cinq Prix africains, mais je crois qu'il n'y a eu, par exemple, qu'un seul prix indien. Aujourd'hui, cela n'a plus vraiment à voir avec le pays d'origine, ce qui est reconnu, c'est la qualité de l'écriture, pas si cet écrivain vient d'Afrique ou d'ailleurs. Bien sûr, je souhaite que beaucoup d'autres auteurs du continent reçoivent le Prix, mais je voudrais surtout qu'ils le reçoivent parce qu'ils le méritent.En ce qui concerne la Tanzanie, êtes-vous inquiet de voir les autorités durcir leurs positions l'égard des opposants politiques ?Pour être tout à fait honnête, je ne connais pas les détails des récentes affaires. Le gouvernement est assez réticent à l'idée de tolérer l'opposition, mais il apprend peu à peu à le faire. Donc, dans un sens, il y a du progrès, puisqu'il essaye de comprendre comment laisser les partis d'opposition fonctionner. Cependant, il est vrai qu'à partir d'un certain point, il se dit qu'il doit intervenir et les arrêter. Mais, honnêtement, ce n'est pas un sujet que je connais très bien.Abdurazak Gurnah, merci beaucoup
Roman, v katerem tanzanijsko-britanskega nobelovca zanima, kakšni so bili prvi destabilizirajoči učinki evropskega kolonialnega osvajanja na tradicionalne družbe, kakršne so okoli leta 1900 še obstajale v vzhodni AfrikiKo so oktobra leta 2021 v Stockholmu razkrili ime novopečenega prejemnika Nobelove nagrade za književnost, se je večina bralk in bralcev po svetu menda le začudeno spogledovala. Prestižno priznanje je takrat namreč pripadlo relativno neznanemu tanzanijsko-britanskemu pisatelju, Abdulrazaku Gurnahu. Toda švedski akademiki so, ko so utemeljevali, zakaj Nobelovo nagrado podeljujejo prav Gurnahu, prepričano in prepričljivo govorili o pisateljevem sicer brezkompromisnem, a razumevanja polnem prikazu učinkov, ki jih ima dediščina kolonializma na usodo beguncev, izgubljenih v vmesnem prostoru med kulturami in kontinenti. Zveni intrigantno, ni kaj, toda bralke in bralci pri nas te sodbe doslej nismo mogli dovolj zanesljivo preveriti, saj v slovenščini nismo imeli na voljo prav nobenega Gurnahovega dela. To se je naposled spremenilo pred nekaj meseci, ko je pri založbi Morfemplus v prevodu Alenke Ropret izšel Paradiž, za katerega poznavalci pravijo, da je pravzaprav eden ključnih romanov Gurnahovega pisateljskega opusa. A kdor v Paradiž pomoli le nos, bo hitro ugotovil, da Gurnah vsaj tu ne piše zares o beguncih današnjega sveta, pač pa ga zanima, kakšni so bili prvi, najzgodnejši destabilizirajoči učinki evropskega kolonialnega osvajanja na tradicionalne družbe, kakršne so ob koncu 19. stoletja še obstajale v vzhodni Afriki. Kakšna je torej podoba življenja na območju današnje Tanzanije okoli leta 1900, ki si jo ustvarimo ob branju Paradiža? In zakaj se zdi, da Gurnaha – pa čeprav ne pušča prav nobenih dvomov o brutalnem nasilju evropskih kolonizatorjev – ne mika po vsej sili romantizirati življenja v predkolonialni dobi? – Odgovore smo iskali v tokratnem Sobotnem branju, ko smo pred mikrofonom gostili prevajalko Alenko Ropret. Foto: Goran Dekleva
Abdulrazak Gurnah (født 1948 i Sultanatet Zanzibar) er en tanzaniansk forfatter og litteraturkritiker. Han ble tildelt Nobelprisen i litteratur i 2021 for «kompromissløst og med stor medfølelse å ha gjennomlyst kolonialismens virkninger og flyktningens skjebne i kløften mellom kulturer og kontinenter. --Øivind Hånes (født 5. januar 1960 i Nedre Eiker) er en norsk forfatter, musiker, komponist og plateprodusent.For romanen Pirolene i Benidorm (2005) ble han nominert til Nordisk råds litteraturpris. Hånes er oversatt til tysk, russisk og litauisk.I tillegg til sitt skjønnlitterære forfatterskap har Hånes gitt ut en rekke faktabøker om mat og vin.Som musiker har Hånes spilt inn flere plater, bl.a. på sitt eget plateselskap Bajkal Records.
Kirsten Voigt, Eberhard Falcke und Hubert Winkels diskutierten vier auf der SWR Bestenliste im Juli/August verzeichneten Werke in der Kakadu Bar des Staatstheaters Mainz.
Sansibar, in den 1970er-Jahren. Salims Vater verschwindet, als der Junge sieben Jahre alt ist. Erst als junger Erwachsener, als er im fremden London zu überleben versucht, wird er dem Geheimnis seiner Herkunft auf die Spur kommen.
Der Verlust von Heimat und die Einsamkeit des Lebens zwischen den Welten, das sind die großen Themen, die Literaturnobelpreisträger Abdulrazak Gurnah in seinen Romanen behandelt. Themen, die auch mit seiner Biografie verbunden sind: Gurnah ist als Jugendlicher von Sansibar nach England geflohen. In seinem gerade auf Deutsch erschienenen Roman „Das versteinerte Herz“ erzählt er vom Schicksal des jungen Salim, der eine ganz ähnliche Reise durchlebt. Im Gespräch mit Jan Ehlert erinnert sich Gurnah daran, was ihm selbst damals Kraft gegeben hat und wie es vor allem die Literatur war, die ihm half, sich in seiner neuen Heimat zurechtzufinden. Auch bei der Aufarbeitung der Zeit des Kolonialismus hofft Gurnah auf die Literatur. Hier müssten neue, andere Geschichten erzählt werden, die die Perspektive der Unterdrückten einnehmen: „Wir haben eine Verantwortung, uns mit dieser Zeit auseinanderzusetzen. Etwas darüber wissen zu wollen ist dabei nur der erste Schritt. Aber es ist ein sehr wichtiger Schritt.“
Schneider, Wolfgang www.deutschlandfunk.de, Büchermarkt
Albath, Maike www.deutschlandfunk.de, Büchermarkt
Zwei Nobelpreisträger im lesenswert Magazin: Louise Glück und Abdulrazak Gurnah. Und: Daniel de Roulet, Sam Knight, Claire Keegan und ein Tusch zum 150. von Karl Kraus.
Ein berührender Coming-of Age-Roman des Literaturnobelpreisträgers. Auf der zu Tansania gehörenden Insel Sansibar wächst der Junge Salim in den 70er Jahren auf und erlebt große Umbrüche zwischen Revolution und Gewalt. Ein Roman über den Einfluss der Geschichte auf unser Leben. Eine Rezension von Jörg Schieke
Löffler, Sigrid www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Studio 9
Löffler, Sigrid www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Studio 9
Löffler, Sigrid www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Studio 9
作为2021年的诺贝尔文学奖得主,阿卜杜勒拉扎克·古尔纳拒绝每一个既定标签。他深谙后殖民理论,却从不迎合西方对殖民叙事的刻板期待;他书写故乡,却不断质疑着迁徙年代我们对家园的想象;出乎所有人意料获得诺奖,却依然按照自己的节奏笔耕不缀,丝毫不受“诅咒”的影响,甚至刚刚写完了一本书。 2024年3月,古尔纳受邀来到中国。本期节目,跳岛将呈现古尔纳在上海思南文学之家与著名中国作家、第十一届茅盾文学奖得主孙甘露的对谈。 在古尔纳获得诺奖之前,鲜有中国读者听过他的名字,而被问及对中国文学有何印象时,他则坦言“在英国书店庞杂的翻译门类里找到来自中国的文本并不容易”。某种程度上,这次对谈也是两个生生不息的写作传统在“世界文学”版图边缘的一次相遇和对视。 时至今日,当背井离乡成为无数人共享的命运,文学对离散者和异乡人的书写更应该回归他们的复杂世界。一片跨越海洋的碎瓷曾将两个如此不同的文明牵系一处,阅读和写作也会让我们涉足地球另一端、被历史放逐的人生。
Arning, Silkewww.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, LesartDirekter Link zur Audiodatei
Arning, Silkewww.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, LesartDirekter Link zur Audiodatei
Das Leid, das den Menschen in Ostafrika durch europäische Kolonialinteressen zugefügt wurde, dürfe nicht verharmlost werden, mahnt Abdulrazak Gurnah. 30 Jahre Deutsch-Ostafrika bezeichnet der Literaturnobelpreisträger als eine historische Epoche schlimmster Gräueltaten. Die Verantwortung für dieses Unrecht zu übernehmen, sei der erste Schritt zu Verständnis und Versöhnung.
Katharina Thomswww.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, FazitDirekter Link zur Audiodatei
Abdulrazak Gurnah won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021, honouring a career in which he's written ten novels, and many short stories and essays. He's an Emeritus Professor at the University of Kent. He was born in 1948 on the island of Zanzibar off the coast of East Africa, and first came to Britain as a refugee at the age of 18, in the aftermath of the Zanzibar Revolution. In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, he recalled how, even as a young schoolboy, he loved writing stories. He also reflected on how his move to England changed everything: "there", he said, "in my homesickness and amidst the anguish of a stranger's life… I began to do a different kind of writing. There was a task to be done." Abdulrazak's musical choices include Shostakovich, Mendelssohn, Miles Davis and the Malian kora player, Toumani Diabaté.
Abdulrazak Gurnah vandt Nobelprisen i litteratur i 2021, og hans bog Ved havet udkommer i dag på dansk. Men hvem er den kolonikritiske, tanzaniske forfatter? Jakob Engel-Schmidt skriver digte - og han læste for første gang én af sine egne tekster højt tidligere i dag på P1. Vi taler om, hvad det gør for syn på vores kulturministeren, når vi nu ved, at han selv er aktiv kulturskaber. Vært: Linnea Albinus Lande og Chris Pedersen.
In 2021, Abdulrazak Gurnah was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, the first African-born writer to receive the award in close to 20 years. The Swedish Academy awarded Gurnah the prize «for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents».Across the world, more and more readers are discovering Gurnah's body of work. His novels Paradise, Afterlives and Desertion explore the history of East Africa and Zanzibar, while other works, such as Admiring Silence and By the Sea, portray a migrant's encounter with British society. What they all have in common are the memorable characters created by Gurnah, characters that are not heroes, but rather unique in their quiet everydayness, and who often feel alienated from the world around them.Through these characters, Gurnah gives us masterful depictions of a region and its history, of the colonial era, of exile and migration. In a quiet revolution, he shifts the perspective from the familiar, Western narrative to an East African point of view, leading us into great history as seen through the eyes of ordinary people.“Gurnah's novels are stunningly beautiful, immersive and enticing. He exceeds all others in depicting the lives of those made small by injustice and oppression”, writer Leila Aboulela has said about Gurnah's writing, with which she has a strong connection. Aboulela grew up in Sudan, and currently lives in Scotland. She has published a number of plays, short story collections and novels, most recently River Spirit.Aboulela will join Abdulrazak Gurnah for a conversation about his body of work, about writing the history of East Africa, migration, colonial history, and the unique portraits of characters and relationships he gives us in his books.The event was supported by Norad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
I 2021 ble Abdulrazak Gurnah tildelt Nobelprisen i litteratur, som den første afrikansk-fødte forfatteren på nær 20 år. I begrunnelsen fra Svenska Akademin heter det at han «kompromissløst og med stor medfølelse har belyst kolonialismens virkning og flyktningers skjebne i kløften mellom kulturer og kontinenter».Verden over får stadig flere lesere øynene opp for Gurnahs forfatterskap. Romanene Paradis, Etterliv og Svik utforsker Øst-Afrikas og Zanzibars historie, mens andre, som Taushetens øy og Ved sjøen, skildrer møtet med det britiske samfunnet som migrant. Felles for dem alle er at han skriver fram minneverdige personer som ikke er helter, men som tvert imot er unike i all sin stille hverdagslighet, og som ofte kan kjenne seg fremmedgjort fra verden rundt.Gjennom disse menneskenes fortellinger gir Gurnah oss mesterlige skildringer av en region og dens historie, av kolonitid, eksil og migrasjon. I en stille revolusjon forskyver han perspektivet fra det kjente, vestlige narrativet til et øst-afrikansk utgangspunkt, og tar oss med inn i den store historien sett gjennom vanlige menneskers blikk.«Gurnahs bøker er glimrende, engasjerende og fascinerende. Han er en mester i å skrive om de menneskene som trykkes ned av urett og undertrykkelse.»Det har forfatter Leila Aboulela uttalt om Gurnahs forfatterskap, som hun har et nært forhold til. Aboulela er født og oppvokst i Sudan, og bor i dag i Skottland. Hun har utgitt en rekke romaner, novellesamlinger og skuespill, senest romanen River Spirit i 2023. Nå møter hun Abdulrazak Gurnah til samtale om hans forfatterskap, om å skrive Øst-Afrikas historie, om migrasjon og kolonihistorie, og om de unike menneskeportrettene og relasjonene han skriver fram.Arrangementet ble støttet av NORAD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nobel Prize-winning novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah speaks about his native Zanzibar and how his upbringing has shaped his writing career.
This episode is a live session from Jaipur Literature Festival 2023!
Abdulrazak Gurnah was forced to flee Zanzibar when he was 18. He draws on that experience to write stories that address colonialism from different angles. His book 'Paradise' was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. His book 'By The Sea' was longlisted for the Booker Prize. He's Professor Emeritus of English and Postcolonial Literatures at the University of Kent, and was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize for Literature. He only had 9 minutes warning about that, by the way!The new book tells the story of Ilyas, stolen from his parents by German colonial soldiers, who must now find his way home.We talk about why he needs a blank wall to write, why he's never bothered with a word count, and how teaching full-time affected his ability to write stories.You can hear how much he thinks about plot points, how he gets to know his characters, and all about the Nobel Prize.Get 10% off Plottr, at go.plottr.com/routine.Support the show at patreon.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
En este nuevo encuentro en el café de Mendel, José Carlos Rodrigo (@literatura_instantanea) y Jan Arimany (@trotalibros) hablan de sus lecturas, que van de Gurnah a Cartarescu, pasando por Kureshi y Gógol. También comentan el destino del archivo de Anagrama o el incremento de ventas de 1984 en Rusia, así como las últimas novedades editoriales. Seas de café solo o de los que se alargan describiendo todos los ingredientes añadidos que desean, ¡no te olvides de acompañarlo con una buena lectura! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/elcafedemendel/message
Bob Kustra interviews Abdulrazak Gurnah, Nobel Prize winner and author of the novel, Afterlives. The book is a multi-generational saga of displacement, love and loss, set against the brutal colonization of east Africa.
[REBROADCAST FROM September 12, 2022] Abdulrazak Gurnah is the latest Nobel Prize recipient in literature, receiving the award for his decades of writing about colonialism, refugees, and family. Gurnah joins us to discuss his career and his latest novel, Afterlives, a story of characters living under German colonial rule in East Africa.
Nobel Prize-winning novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah speaks about his native Zanzibar and how his upbringing has shaped his writing career.
From the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature comes Afterlives, a sweeping, multi-generational saga of displacement, loss, and love, set against the brutal colonization of East Africa and illuminating a legacy of dislocation that is still with us today. In conversation with Tope Folarin, the Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Studies, the Lannan Visiting Lecturer in Creative Writing at Georgetown University, and the author of the novel A Particular Kind of Black Man. This program was held on September 13, 2022 in partnership with Politics and Prose.
Prior to meeting Nobel Prize winning author Abdulrazak Gurnah a few weeks ago, the only thing I knew about his home country of Zanzibar was that Freddie Mercury was born there and Billy Joel wrote a song by that name, though I'm pretty sure it was about a nightclub in New York City. I was unaware of the Zanzibar Revolution and the dangerous living conditions that caused Abdulrazak to flee his home country and seek asylum in the UK. Meet Abdulrazak Gurnah: Abdulrazak Gurnah is the 2021 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Among his many novels are Paradise, By the Sea, and Desertion. Born and raised in Zanzibar, he is Professor Emeritus of English and Postcolonial Literatures at the University of Kent. He recently joined me on Uncorking a Story me today to talk about his new novel, Afterlives. Key Topics: His decision to leave Zanzibar in the 1960s to seek asylum in the UK. How he was treated living as a refugee in the UK. Why, after studying engineering, Abdulrazak decided to start writing. How he weaves his life's experiences into the story lines of his novels. Important words of advice he would share with aspiring authors looking to write their first book. “What I write about is what I see. And if what I see is unjust, then I will write about it.” — Abdulrazak Gurnah. Buy After Lives Amazon: https://amzn.to/3KjQRy6 Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9780593541883 Connect with Abdulrazak Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/44089.Abdulrazak_Gurnah Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/addulrazak_gurnah/ Connect with Mike Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvS4fuG3L1JMZeOyHvfk_g Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncorkingastory/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/uncorkingastory Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncorkingastory LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/ If you like this episode, please share it with a friend. If you have not done so already, please rate and review Uncorking a Story on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get yours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, I'm chatting with Abdulzarak Gurnah about how his life has changed since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, 2021, his new novel, Afterlives, colonialism in Africa, and what drew him from Tanzania to the county of Kent in the UK and a life dedicated to teaching.Abdulrazak Gurnah is the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021. He is the author of ten novels: Memory of Departure, Pilgrims Way, Dottie, Paradise (shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Whitbread Award), Admiring Silence, By the Sea (longlisted for the Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Award), Desertion (shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize) The Last Gift, Gravel Heart, and Afterlives, which was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Fiction 2021 and longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize. He was Professor of English at the University of Kent, and was a Man Booker Prize judge in 2016. He lives in Canterbury.Afterlives, Abdulrazak GurnahBooks by Abdulrazak GurnahSupport the show
Abdulrazak Gurnah is receiving worldwide attention after being awarded last year's Nobel Prize in Literature. His latest novel "Afterlives" is set in colonial East Africa occupied by Germany in the early 20th century. Gurnah writes of individuals caught up in the sweep of history and the impact on their later lives. Jeffrey Brown caught up with him for our arts and culture series, "CANVAS." PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Abdulrazak Gurnah is receiving worldwide attention after being awarded last year's Nobel Prize in Literature. His latest novel "Afterlives" is set in colonial East Africa occupied by Germany in the early 20th century. Gurnah writes of individuals caught up in the sweep of history and the impact on their later lives. Jeffrey Brown caught up with him for our arts and culture series, "CANVAS." PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
"Well, home is a complicated concept....So you've shaken me awake at three o'clock in the morning. Where's home? I'll say Zanzibar without hesitation. Oh, but then on the other hand, I've been living here and working here for 50 years, my family, my children, and my grandchildren live here. The idea that this is not my home, it's just ridiculous. I just won't have it. You know, this is my home. So home is complicated, both are home, but it means something different." An epic story of life, loss, and love set against an unforgiving landscape of colonial violence, Afterlives is a multi-generational novel set in East Africa that is at once wistful, grounded—and unforgettable. 2021 Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah joins us on the show to discuss his body of work, the legacy of colonialism, what it was like to win the Nobel and much more with Poured Over's host, Miwa Messer. Feature Books (Episode): Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah Memory of Departure by Abdulrazak Gurnah Admiring Silence by Abdulrazak Gurnah Featured Books (TBR Topoff): Home by Toni Morrison Dear Life by Alice Munro Poured Over is produced and hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. A complete transcript of this episode is available here.
Abdulrazak Gurnah is the latest Nobel Prize recipient in literature, receiving the award for his decades of writing about colonialism, refugees, and family. Gurnah joins us to discuss his career and his latest novel, Afterlives, a story of characters living under German colonial rule in East Africa. *Gurnah will be speaking tonight at the New York Public Library SNFL event center at 6:30 p.m.
Nobel Prize-winning novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah talks to John Wilson about the people, events, and cultural works that have inspired his creativity. Born in Zanzibar, the author and academic came to England as a political refugee at the age of 18, and now holds the post of Emeritus Professor of English and Postcolonial Literatures at the University of Kent. Since his first book Memory of Departure in 1987, he has written ten novels including Paradise, which was nominated for the Booker Prize in 1994. When he won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature, the citation praised his "uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents”. Abdulrazak Gurnah discusses his childhood overlooking the main port in Zanzibar, and how his experience of multiple nationalities, cultures and languages inspired some of the themes of identity, belonging and departure that recur in his novels. He remembers the political turmoil and violence in the wake of the 1964 revolution in Zanzibar that saw the overthrown of the Sultan and imprisonment of the government. After travelling to the UK with his brother in 1968, he enrolled as a student in Canterbury, the town in which he still lives and works. Among his most important literary influences is The Mystic Masseur, a comic novel by the Trinidadian author VS Naipaul. Abdulrazak Gurnah also discusses the effect that winning the Nobel Prize has had on his life and work. Producer: Edwina Pitman
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#PodcastersForJustice 2021 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Abdulrazak Gurnah, spoke to me about life after becoming a laureate, the difference between authors and writers, and his latest novel "Afterlives." The Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 was awarded to Abdulrazak Gurnah "for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents" The Tanzanian-born British novelist and Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Kent, has written short stories, essays, and ten novels including Paradise (shortlisted for the Booker Prize), By the Sea (longlisted for the Booker Prize and a finalist for the LA Times Book Award), and Desertion. His latest novel, Afterlives, has been described as "... a sweeping, multi-generational saga of displacement, loss, and love, set against the brutal colonization of east Africa" The New York Times Book Review called the author, "... a master of the art form who understands human failings in conflicts both political and intimate — and how these shortcomings create afflictions from which nations and individuals continue to suffer, needlessly, generation after generation." Stay calm and write on ... Discover The Writer Files Extra Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox If you're a fan of The Writer Files, please "Follow" us to automatically see new interviews. In this file Abdulrazak Gurnah and I discussed: Finding global readers and acclaim two years after the UK release of his latest book The irony of becoming a Nobel laureate in literature Why he always writes the final episode first The intergenerational trauma of war and how he chooses his protagonists Why you may be in the wrong business And a lot more! Show Notes: Afterlives: A Novel by Abdulrazak Gurnah The Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 Abdulrazak Gurnah Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nobel Prize-winning novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah joins Fiction/Non/Fiction hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell to discuss the history and lasting effects of colonialism in African nations, particularly Tanzania, where he grew up, and which was once part of German East Africa. He reads from his book Afterlives, which traces the lives of young friends with different relationships to the schutztruppe, the German colonial troops. To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/. This podcast is produced by Anne Kniggendorf. Selected Readings: Abdulrazak Gurnah Afterlives Gravel Heart The Last Gift Others: Abdulrazak Gurnah – Facts – 2021 - NobelPrize.org Abdulrazak Gurnah Refuses to Be Boxed In: ‘I Represent Me' - The New York Times Nobel Prize in Literature: Read About Abdulrazak Gurnah's Books - The New York Times Stories of Familial Unrest and Displacement - The New York Times In Tanzania, Gurnah's Nobel Prize win sparks both joy and debate | Arts and Culture News | Al Jazeera The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We're joined by Nobel Prize Winner Abdulrazak Gurnah for a fun conversation about his new novel Afterlives, the one question he's tired of answering, the forgotten colonizations of Africa, and the incident that led to him being caned in school. Plus – Dave's dentist says the wrong thing at the wrong time. HOW TO … Continue reading How To Win The Nobel Prize With Abdulrazak Gurnah
Beth Golay talks to Nobel Prize in Literature winner Abdulrazak Gurnah about his latest book, Afterlives.
Author of Afterlives Photo (c) Mark Pringle Links The 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 Nobel Lecture by Abdulrazak Gurnah Ernest Hemingway wins Nobel Prize in literature in 1954 for The Old Man and the Sea Wole Soyinka, first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1986 If you'd like brief updates on technology, books, marriage, and puppies, you can follow along with my Morning Journal flash briefing. tFrom your Echo device, just say, “Alexa, enable Morning Journal.” Then each morning say, “Alexa, what's my flash briefing?” I post a five-minute audio journal each weekday except usually by 8 a.m. Eastern Time. Right-click here and then click "Save Link As..." to download the audio to your computer, phone, or MP3 player.
People often like to introduce novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah as a writer who tackles the traumas and aftereffects of colonialism, especially in East Africa. But in accepting the Nobel Prize for literature last year, he made space for the fullness of all lives, not least those living in traumatic places. “Writing cannot be just about battling and polemics, however invigorating and comforting that can be,” he said. “Writing is not about one thing, not about this issue or that, or this concern or another, and since its concern is human life in one way or another, sooner or later cruelty and love and weakness become its subject.” We'll talk to Gurnah about his gorgeous novel "After Lives" which is being published in the U.S. this month. Guests: Abdulrazak Gurnah, novelist and author, "After Lives" - winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature
Today we conclude our series Rich Country/Poor Country by taking a second look at all three novels, The Disaster Tourist, The Sympathizer, and Paradise. We'll take a closer look at how forcefully these authors present their political views, the differences between state and corporate power in these novels, and James will get really angry when Viet Thanh Nguyen doubts the value of creative writing workshops. For our series on Rich Country | Poor Country, we will read and discuss three novels: Yun Ko-eun's The Disaster Tourist Jun 3 - 17, Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Sympathizer Jun 24 - Jul 8, and Abdulrazak Gurnah's Paradise Jul 15-29. You can join discussion here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CanonicalPod where you can also find show notes, credits and extended discussions for every episode. You can support us by rating/liking/sharing our podcast! Subscribe to us here: Apple | Stitcher | Spotify | Google | Youtube You can also support us by buying a book from one of our curated lists: https://bookshop.org/shop/CanonicalPod. We earn a commission on every purchase and your local indie bookstore gets a cut too! We are also on Twitter and Facebook @CanonicalPod. Follow us to get updates on upcoming episodes!
We're concluding our discussion of Abdulrazak Gurnah's Paradise by taking a look at what it has to say about justice and colonialism. We connect this novel to the ethical debate about the origins of justice. Can Eyad successfully make the case that this is a philosophical novel? For our series Rich Country | Poor Country, we will read and discuss three novels: Yun Ko-eun's The Disaster Tourist Jun 3 - 17, Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Sympathizer Jun 24 - Jul 8, and Abdulrazak Gurnah's Paradise Jul 15-29. You can join our Reddit discussion here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CanonicalPod where you can also find show notes, credits and extended discussions for every episode. You can support us by rating/liking/sharing our podcast! Subscribe to us here: Apple | Stitcher | Spotify | Google | Youtube We are also on Twitter and Facebook @CanonicalPod. Follow us to get updates on upcoming episodes!
We're continuing our discussion of Abdulrazak Gurnah's Paradise, today exploring whether a comparison to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is fair, and what the purpose of the religious subtext might be. Does it hurt the novel to have hidden meaning if cultural touchstones are beyond your understanding? (Spoiler: no.) For our series on Rich Country | Poor Country, we will read and discuss three novels: Yun Ko-eun's The Disaster Tourist Jun 3 - 17, Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Sympathizer Jun 24 - Jul 8, and Abdulrazak Gurnah's Paradise Jul 15-29. You can join our Reddit discussion here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CanonicalPod where you can also find show notes, credits and extended discussions for every episode. You can support us by rating/liking/sharing our podcast! Subscribe to us here: Apple | Stitcher | Spotify | Google | Youtube We are also on Twitter and Facebook @CanonicalPod. Follow us to get updates on upcoming episodes!
We're concluding our series Rich Country, Poor Country with Abdulrazak Gurnah's Paradise, a quiet but surprising novel that is at turns perhaps a hero's journey, a travel narrative, a historical fiction, a bildungsroman, and a philosophical exploration. Though Gurnah does not have as much presence in the US, this novel is one of his best known and among those that earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021. Tune in to hear what makes all those elements come together. For our series on Rich Country | Poor Country, we will read and discuss three novels: Yun Ko-eun's The Disaster Tourist Jun 3 - 17, Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Sympathizer Jun 24 - Jul 8, and Abdulrazak Gurnah's Paradise Jul 15-29. You can join our Reddit discussion here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CanonicalPod where you can also find show notes, credits and extended discussions for every episode. You can support us by rating/liking/sharing our podcast! Subscribe to us here: Apple | Stitcher | Spotify | Google | Youtube We are also on Twitter and Facebook @CanonicalPod. Follow us to get updates on upcoming episodes!
Abdulrazak Gurnah is the author of ten novels and an emeritus professor of English and postcolonial literatures at the university of Kent. He has been hailed for his ability to convey the immigrant experience – but to him, literature is much more than just social commentry. "We also read because it gives us pleasure – sometimes completely distracts us from other things we should be doing and thinking about."In the conversation, Abdulrazak Gurnah talks about fleeing his native Zanzibar as a teenager, and feeling unwelcome after arriving in the UK. He also offers insights into his writing: how he explores thoughtful silences and lifts the small struggles that play out in otherwise mundane lives and settings. Your host is Adam Smith, Chief Scientific Officer at Nobel Prize Outreach. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Paradise, by 2021 Nobel Prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah, is the coming-of-age story of Yusuf, a Tanzanian boy sent into debt servitude when his father can't pay back an Arab merchant. Yusuf travels into the interior with “Uncle Aziz” and other vivid characters, to trade with the “savages” there. The story takes place on the cusp of World War I, set in the wake of mass enslavement and the advent of European colonialism and interwoven with Yusuf's story from the Quran. Gurnah himself belonged to the Arab elite of Zanzibar, and fled to the UK after a revolution there in the 1960s. Show Notes In Episode 84, we discussed the colonial relationship between Oman and East Africa in Jokha Alharthi's The Bitter Orange Tree. Abdulrazak Gurnah's Nobel lecture Excerpt on Kilwa from Ibn Battuta's RihlatTanzania-Oman Historic Ties: The Past and Present, by Oswald Masebo