Abdulrazak Gurnah

Abdulrazak Gurnah is a Tanzanian writer who won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy stated that the author was chosen for the "moving description of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gap between cultures and continents ..." . It had been 18 years since the last African - John Maxwell Coetzee in 2003 - won this important award.

Gurnah stands out for describing in a sensitive and crude way the transit of those displaced by hunger and war from the African coasts to Europe, and how reaching the “promised land” they still have to overcome a sea of ​​prejudices, obstacles and traps. Today he has published ten novels and a considerable number of stories and short stories, all written in English. —Even though Swahili is his native language. Since 2006 he has been a member of the Royal Literature Society, an organization in Great Britain dedicated to the study and dissemination of literature.

Biographical details of the author, Abdulrazak Gurnah

Childhood and studies

Abdulrazak Gurnah was born on December 20, 1948 on the island of Zanzibar (archipelago of Tanzania). At the age of 18 he had to flee from his homeland to the United Kingdom due to the persecutions against Muslims. Already on English soil, he pursued higher studies at Christ Church College and in 1982 completed a doctorate at the University of Kent.

College professor

For decades, Gurnah has dedicated her life to teaching at the university level in the area of ​​English Studies.. For three consecutive years (1980-1983) he taught in Nigeria, at the Bayero University Kano (BUK). He was a professor of English and postcolonial literature, as well as being the director of the English department at the University of Kent, duties that he held until he retired.

His investigative works focus on postcolonialism, as well as in colonialism directed at Africa, the Caribbean and India. Currently, important universities use his works as teaching material. The subjects taught by experienced teachers stand out, such as: Patricia Bastida (UIB), Maurice O'Connor (UCA), Antonio Ballesteros (UNED) and Juan Ignacio de la Oliva (ULL), to name a few.

Writer experience

In his career as a writer he has created short stories and essays, however, his novels are the ones that have given him the most recognition. From 1987 to the present he has published 10 narrative works in this genre. His first three works -memory of departure (1987) pilgrims way (1988) and Dottie (1990) - have similar themes: they show different nuances of the experiences of immigrants in Great Britain.

In 1994 he published one of his most recognized novels, Paradise, which was a finalist for the prestigious British Booker Prize in 2001. This work was the first to be brought into the Spanish language -What Paradise-, it was published in Barcelona in 1997 and was translated by Sofía Carlota Noguera. Two other titles of Gurnah that have been brought into the language of Cervantes are: Precarious silence (1998) and On the shore (2007)

Gurnah - considered "the voice of the displaced" - has also stood out for other novels, such as: by the sea (2001) Defection (2005) and gravel heart (2017) In 2020, presented its last narrative work: after lives, considered by British critics as: "An attempt to give a voice to the forgotten."

Author's style

The works of the author are written in a prose without waste; in them their interest in topics such as exile, identity and roots is evident. His books show the effects of the colonization of East Africa and what its inhabitants suffer. This is seen as a reflection of his life as an immigrant, a key element that distinguishes him from other African writers of the diaspora residing in British territory.

Likewise, Anders Olsson - Chairman of the Nobel Committee - considers that the characters created by Gurnah are very well constructed. In this regard, he states: "Between the life they left behind and the life to come, they confront racism and prejudice, but they also convince themselves to silence the truth or reinvent their biographies to avoid conflicts with reality."

A Nobel that surprised the world

Even within the literary world, many ask "Who is Abdulrazak Gurnah?" or "Why did an unknown writer win the prize?" The fact is that there are several sufficient reasons why Gurnah became 2021 the fifth African to win the Literature Nobel. However, everything indicates that the jury made the decision based on the theme addressed by the author.

Gurnah Powers

The fact that many are unaware of the trajectory of a Tanzanian writer does not detract from his talents as a writer. His rich command of language, coupled with the sensitivity that he manages to capture in each line, make him an author close to the reader.. In his works his commitment to the reality of his native country and his compatriots is evidenced, which enhances the human nature of his pen and the link between his experiences and his literary work. Each story shows a context marked by the wars suffered on the continent.

But why is Gurnah different? Well, the author refuses to recreate redundant stories about what has happened between England and Africa. With his books he has shown a renewed vision of the African continent and its people, with dense nuances that few have taken into account, which has broken stereotypes and asserted the figure of the displaced in the eyes of those who read. Abdulrazak raises the reality of colonialism and its consequences today - migration is only one of them, but of flesh and blood.

An award dominated by other nationalities

It is no surprise that since the creation of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1901, the majority of winners have been European or North American. France ranks first with 15 award-winning writers, closely followed by the United States with 13 and Great Britain with 12. And, as mentioned in advance, only five Africans have so far been honored with this recognized accolade.

Eighteen years had passed since eThe last African se raised with this important award: John Maxwell Coetzee. Before the South African, he was received in 1986 by the Nigerian Wole Soyinka, in 1988 by the Egyptian Naguib Mahfouz and the first African woman, Nadine Gordimer, in 1991.

Now, Why is there so much disparity ?; without a doubt, it is something difficult to answer. However, it is expected that these coming years will see changes in the Swedish Academy, due, in large part, to the scandals about inequality and abuse that occurred in 2018. Hence, a year later a new committee was created with the aim of change the vision and avoid dishonorable scenarios. In this regard, Anders Olsson expressed:

“We have our eyes open to writers who could be called postcolonial. Our gaze broadens over time. AND the aim of the Academy is to invigorate our vision of literature in deep. For example, literature in the postcolonial world ”.

These new precepts gave rise to the African to be noticed before big names. His particular unique works —With difficult but extremely real subjects— allowed the Nobel Committee to classify it as "one of the most outstanding postcolonial writers in the world… ”.

Strong competition

This year there were names of renowned literati in the environment. Writers such as: Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, Haruki Murakami, Javier Marías, Scholastique Mukasonga, Mia Couto, Margaret Atwood, Annie Ernaux, among others. Not in vain was the surprise at the victory of Gurnah, which, although well deserved, arises in a dense jungle of consecrated figures.

Impressions of the author after winning the Nobel

After receiving the award, the Tanzanian author does not intend to abandon the theme that he has made Nobel laureate. With the recognition you feel more motivated to express your opinion on various topics and your perception of the world in a frank way.

In an interview in London, he stated: “I write about these conditions because I want to write about human interactions and what people go through when they are rebuilding their lives ”.

Press impressions

The appointment of Abdulrazak Gurnah as a Nobel laureate surprised both the Swedish territory and the entire world. The author was not among the possible winners, since his works were not declaimed by specialists in literature. A reflection of this were the comments that emerged in the press after the appointment, among these we can highlight:

• "A mystical choice of the Swedish Academy". The express (Expressen)
• "Panic and confusion when the name of the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature was presented." Afternoon Diary (Aftonbladet)
• "Congratulations Abdulrazak Gurnah! The 2021 Nobel Prize for Literature is well deserved ”. National EN (Jorge Iván Garduño)
• "It's time to realize that non-white people can write." Swedish newspaper (Svenska Dagbladet)
• "Abdulrazak Gurnah, a star that nobody bet a penny on" Lelatria Magazine (Javier Claure Covarrubias)
• "The news of the Nobel Prize for Gurnah was celebrated by novelists and scholars who have long argued that his work deserves a wider readership." The New York Times

Paradise, Gurnah's most outstanding work

In 1994 Gurnah presented Paraíso, his fourth novel and the first whose texts were translated into Spanish. With this narrative, the African author obtained great recognition in the literary field, being so far its most representative creation. The story is told with an omniscient voice; it is a mixture of fiction with the memories of the childhood of Gurnah in his native land.

Between lines, Gurnah makes a clear denunciation of the terrible slavery practices directed at children, which have occurred for years in African territory. All intertwined in turn with the natural beauties, fauna and legends that are part of the culture of the region.

For its realization, the writer moved to Tanzania, although while there he affirmed: "I did not travel to collect data, but to get the dust back into my nose”. This reflects the non-denial of its origins; there is a reminiscence and a recognition of a beautiful Africa, however, under a reality full of serious conflicts.

Some specialists have agreed that the plot portrays «lthe adolescence and maturity of an African child, a tragic love story and also a story of the corruption of African tradition because of European colonialism ”.

Synopsis

The plot stars Yusuf, a 12-year-old boy born in the early 1900s in Kawa (fictional town), Tanzania. His father He is the manager of a hotel and is in debt to a merchant named Aziz, who is a powerful Arab tycoon. By not being able to face this commitment, he is forced to pawn his son as part of payment.

After a moving trip, the boy goes to the coast with his "uncle Aziz". There begins his life as rehani (unpaid temporary slave), in the company of his friend Khalil and other servants. His main function is to work and manage the Aziz store, where the products sold in the periphery by the merchant come from.

In addition to these tasks, Yusuf must take care of his master's walled garden, a majestic place where he feels fully. At night, he flees to the Edenic place where through dreams he seeks to find his roots, those of that life that has been stripped from him. Yusuf grows into a handsome young man and yearns for hopeless love, while being desired by others.

At the age of 17, Yusuf embarks on his second journey with the merchant caravan across central africa and the Congo Basin. During the tour there are a series of obstacles in which the author captures part of the African culture. Wild animals, natural beauties and local tribes are just some of the indigenous elements present in the plot.

Returning to East Africa, the First World War has started and his boss Aziz meets the German soldiers. Despite the power of the wealthy merchant, he and other Africans are recruited to serve the German army. At this point, Yusuf will make the most important decision of his life.

Synopsis of other Gurnah novels

memory of departure (1987)

Is the author's first novel, is set in la coastal area of ​​East Africa. Its protagonist is a young man who, after facing an arbitrary system in his country, is sent to Kenya with his opulent uncle. Throughout history his journey will be reflected and how it grows to have a spiritual rebirth.

by the sea (2001)

It is the sixth book by the writer, its version in Spanish was published in Barcelona in 2003 (with a translation by Carmen Aguilar).  In this narrative there are two stories that are interwoven when the protagonists are on the coast of the British sea. These are Saleh Omar, who left everything in Zanzibar to move to England, and Latif Mahmud, a young man who managed to escape long ago and has lived in London for years.

Defection (2005)

It is a novel that takes place in two stages, the first in 1899 and then 50 years later. In 1899, the Englishman Martin Pearce is rescued by Hassanali, after crossing the desert and reaching a city in East Africa.. The merchant asks his sister Rehana to heal Martin's wounds and take care of him until he recovers. Soon, a great attraction is born between the two and they have a passionate relationship in secret.

The consequences of that forbidden love will be reflected 5 decades later, when Martin's brother falls in love with Rehana's granddaughter. The story mixes the passage of time, the consequences of colonialism in relationships and the problems that love symbolizes.

Regarding this novel, the critic Mike Phillips wrote for the English newspaper The Guardian: 

«Most of Desertion it is as beautifully written and as enjoyable as anything you have read recently, a sweetly nostalgic memory of a colonial childhood and a vanished Muslim culture, defined by its reflective and habitual manners, overlaid by its calendar of festivals and religious observances.

Complete works by Abdulrazak Gurnah

Novels

• Memory of Departure (1987)
• pilgrims way (1988)
• Dottie (1990)
• Paradise (1994) - Paradise (1997)
• Admiring Silence (1996) - Precarious silence (1998)
• by the sea (2001) - On the shore (2003)
• Defection (2005)
• The last gift (2011)
• gravel heart (2017)
• afterlives (2020)

Essays, short stories and other works

• Bossy (1985)
• cages (1992)
• Essays on African Writing 1: A Re-evaluation (1993)
• Transformative Strategies in the Fiction of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (1993)
• The Fiction of Wole Soyinka ”in Wole Soyinka: An Appraisal (1994)
• Outrage and Political Choice in Nigeria: A Consideration of Soyinka's Madmen and Specialists, The Man Died, and Season of Anomy (1994, conference published)
• Essays on African writing 2: Contemporary Literature (1995)
• The mid-point of the scream ': The Writing of Dambudzo Marechera (1995)
• Displacement and Transformation in The Enigma of Arrival (1995)
• Escort (1996)
• From Pilgrim's Way (1988)
• Imagining the Postcolonial Writer (2000)
• An Idea of ​​the Past (2002)
• The Collected Stories of Abdulrazak Gurnah (2004)
• My Mother Lived on a Farm in Africa (2006)
• The Cambridge Companion to Salman Rushdie (2007, introduction to the book)
• Themes and Structures in Midnight's Children (2007)
• A Grain of Wheat by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (2012)
• The Arriver's Tale: As Told to Abdulrazak Gurnah (2016)
• The Urge to Nowhere: Wicomb and Cosmopolitanism (2020)